DEFENCE

Aircraft Carriers

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the effects of the aircraft carrier programme on funding for other major defence procurement projects.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence's annual planning process reviews the affordability of all equipment projects and other defence expenditure. This process is not, however, a question of one programme versus another" but of how best our overall capability priorities can be matched to the resources available. The future carriers remain key elements of our equipment programme.

Defence Science and Technology Laboratory

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of its personnel budget the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory spent in Scotland (a) in monetary terms and (b) as a percentage of the total personnel budget in (i) 2002–03 and (ii) 2003–04; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: In FY 2002–03 the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) spent £868,818 of its personnel budget in Scotland, this was 0.70 per cent. of the total Dstl personnel budget. In FY 2003–04 Dstl spent £863,586 which was 0.66 per cent. of the total personnel budget.

Defence Service Agencies (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of its personnel budget for each financial year since 1997–98 the Defence Intelligence and Security Centre spent in Scotland (a) in monetary terms and (b) as a percentage of the total personnel budget for that year; how many personnel were employed in Scotland in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: None of the Defence Intelligence and Security Centre personnel budget for each financial year since 1997–98 has been spent in Scotland.

HMS Quorn

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for HMS Quorn; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: HMS Quorn is currently undergoing a scheduled period of upkeep at Rosyth, which is expected to complete in the summer, when she will return to full operational duty.

Lancashire Regiment

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which (a) hon. Members and (b) former officers made representations to the Army Board making a decision on the new name for the Lancashire Regiment.

Adam Ingram: Last year, the Army considered how best to implement the move to larger regiments and the reduction of four infantry battalions. This involved a wide-ranging and detailed consultation exercise, with the infantry being invited to express their views on how the restructuring should be implemented. Colonels of individual regiments, a number of whom are retired officers, were directly involved in the consultation via the Colonels Commandants of the Divisions of Infantry (who count among their number former, as well as current, Service personnel). The latter were responsible for representing the views of their Divisions to Executive Committee of the Army Board (ECAB); each was invited to address the Committee in person in early December. The Chief of the General Staff also received a small number of letters from retired officers.
	The outcome of the ECAB's deliberations, announced on 16 December by the Secretary of State for Defence, included the name of King's, Lancashire and Border Regiment for the new regiment. I am not aware of any hon. Members having made representations to the ECAB; though a number have, of course, expressed their views to Ministers by the usual means.

Ministerial Visits

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 11 January 2005, Official Report, column 376W, on ministerial visits, if he will list the dates of each return flight.

Adam Ingram: On the four occasions that the Secretary of State for Defence visited Iraq he flew out of Basra on 23 April 2003, 21 October 2003, 14 June 2004 and 8 December 2004. With the exception of the June 2004 flight, which returned to the United Kingdom, the Secretary of State flew from Basra to other destinations in the Middle East.

RAF Machrihanish

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what radar equipment (a) has recently been and (b) is planned to be transferred to RAF Machrihanish from other operating RAF bases; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: None.

Rosyth Dockyard

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Rosyth dockyard.

Adam Ingram: Rosyth Royal Dockyard has provided a significant element of Royal Navy surface ship refit work for many years and should continue to do so as we move towards a fully competitive programme. While no decisions have been made, Rosyth is one of four yards named in 2003 as having the potential to be involved in the construction and assembly of the new future aircraft carriers.

Targets

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many targets have been set in each year since 1997 by the Department; and, of these, which have been (a) met, (b) nearly met, (c) not met, (d) changed and (e) dropped.

Adam Ingram: The Department's targets and performance against them are set out in the MOD's annual performance reports, copies of which are in the Library of the House.

Typhoon

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the impact of Tranche 2 of the Typhoon on the air defence of the UK.

Adam Ingram: Typhoon will represent a major improvement in UK air defence capability compared with the current Tornado F3. The introduction of Tranche 2 Typhoon in addition to the Tranche 1 aircraft will enable the F3 to be phased out by the end of decade.

UK Hydrographic Office

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of its personnel budget the UK Hydrographic Office spent in Scotland in (a) monetary terms and (b) as a percentage of the total personnel budget in financial year (i) 2003–04 and (ii) 2002–03; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: In the financial year 2003–04 the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office spent £89,000 on personnel in Scotland compared to £78,000 in 2002–03. In both years this approximates to 0.3 per cent. of total UKHO personnel costs.

CABINET OFFICE

Lyons Review

Iain Wright: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what representations he has had from Hartlepool in respect of the Lyons Review.

Paul Boateng: I have been asked to reply.
	Hartlepool Partnership contributed a dossier to the Lyons Review of Public Sector Relocation on 12 September 2003. A submission was also received from Tees Valley Development Company representing the Tees Valley sub-region, which also covers Hartlepool.

PRIME MINISTER

Freedom of Information Applications

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister what applications were made to his office during January under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; what applications were turned down, and for what reasons; what the average cost of discovery and distribution of each such request was; and how many requests were answered within the statutory 20 day period.

David Miliband: I have been asked to reply.
	The Cabinet Office received 532 applications under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, during January 2005. Those requests for which a reply was due by Friday 4 February 2005, have received a response. The responses have included replies: providing the information requested in full or in part; indicating that the information is not held by the Department; declining to provide the information requested citing one or more exemptions; seeking to narrow down the request; or seeking more time for consideration of the public interest balance in favour of disclosure. It is not possible to give an average cost of discovery and distribution of each request.

Nepal

Clare Short: To ask the Prime Minister whether he is taking charge of UK policy on Nepal following King Gyanendra's coup; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer given on 8 February 2005, Official Report, column 1460W, by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign Office (Mr. Alexander) to the hon. Member for Boston and Skegness (Mr. Simmonds). The Government have taken a clear position on the actions of King Gyanendra, and all concerned Departments are co-ordinating the Government's response closely.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Parliamentary Questions

John Hayes: To ask the Leader of the House what discussions have taken place between members of the Government and hon. Members concerning the asking of parliamentary questions on issues concerning their own constituency as a means of obtaining statistics for use during a general election; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: The asking and content of parliamentary questions is not a matter for Government.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Aid Agency Accreditation

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what accreditation is required from aid agencies before they are provided with Government funding.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID engages with a wide range of Civil Society Organisations (CSO) as partner aid agencies. DFID ensures potential partners' fitness to receive funds and this may include checking their 'not for profit' or charitable status. For example, under our Civil Society Challenge Fund and Programme Partnership Agreements, CSOs must provide a copy of their constitution and most recent audited accounts. These documents are used to appraise the viability and validity of their application.
	Additionally all our CSO partners must accept DFID accounting arrangements before funds are released to them for the first time and CSOs must report how they have spent each payment we make them.

Aid Conditionality

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made with the review of Government policy on aid conditionality; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: At the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank on 2 October 2004, I launched a consultation process on the draft UK policy paper Partnerships for Poverty Reduction: changing aid conditionally". Comments were received from around 90 individuals and organisations. I also chaired a consultation meeting with NGO representatives. We are now concluding the consultation process and plan to publish a final version in the near future.

Aid Pledges

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the pledges made by his Department (a) in response to international appeals and (b) at donor conferences in each of the past three years; and what the outstanding amounts due to be released in respect of each pledge is.

Hilary Benn: It is not possible to list all pledges made by DFID to international appeals and at donor conferences in each of the last three years without incurring disproportionate cost. The following examples, however, illustrate the UK's very positive record for honouring financial commitments made against specific appeals:
	At the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan in Tokyo in January 2002, DFID pledged £200 million over financial years 2002–03 to 2007–08. DFID is on course to meet and exceed this pledge in the current financial year. At the Berlin Conference on Afghanistan in March 2004, the UK Government increased this pledge to £500 million over the same time period. The latest estimate is that Government Departments have so far disbursed over £303 million of this amount.
	After the Bam Earthquake on 26 December 2003, DFID pledged around £2.15 million following appeals of the United Nations and the International Federation of the Red Cross. All of this money was disbursed, except £450,000 we had committed to the International Federation of the Red Cross; their appeal was sufficiently funded by other contributions they received and they advised that the UK contribution would not be required.
	At the Madrid Donors' Conference on Iraq in October 2003, the UK committed £544 million towards humanitarian and reconstruction assistance in Iraq. We have, so far, disbursed £367 million of this amount.
	The Government have committed £75 million towards the immediate humanitarian response to the tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean, of which £40 million has been pledged to the UN Flash Appeal. As at 7 February 2005, £25.9 million of this commitment has already been allocated to UN agencies. The balance is being programmed in consultation with the United Nations.

Civil Servants

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost of the enhanced early retirement scheme for civil servants in his Department and its agencies was in each year from 1997–98 to 2003–04 and what the estimated cost will be in each year from 2004–05 to 2007–08; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The cost to the Department for International Development (DFID) of early departures is as follows.
	
		
			  Cost (£) 
		
		
			 1997–98 926,268 
			 1998–99 494,903 
			 1999–2000 620,471 
			 2000–01 422,910 
			 2001–02 562,967 
			 2002–03 581,708 
			 2003–04 1,639,414 
			 2004–05(1) 938,770 
			 2005–06(1) 567,927 
			 2006–07(1) 491,699 
			 2007–08(1) 311,071 
		
	
	(1) Estimated expenditure.
	The estimated costs for current and future years are based on existing known commitments. They do not include possible costs for any new commitments yet to be entered into.

Debt Relief

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will set out the steps taken by his Department to alleviate the debt of each of the poorest countries in each year since 1997.

Hilary Benn: The UK Government have been at the forefront of international efforts to deliver debt relief to the world's poorest countries. It provides substantial debt relief through the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. This initiative, launched with the help of significant UK backing in 1999, is delivering many benefits. To date, over US $70 billion in debt relief has been agreed for 27 countries, reducing their debts by around two-thirds on average, and freeing up resources for spending on poverty reduction.
	The UK has committed £2.3 billion of debt relief for eligible countries to cover our obligations under HIPC, including 100 per cent. relief on bilateral UK debts for these countries. It has also pledged an additional $479 million through the multilateral institutions to further support HIPC.
	Fifteen countries have reached Completion Point of the HIPC Initiative, and have received irrevocable debt reduction from all creditors and 100 per cent. cancellation from the UK and other G7 creditors. Uganda was the first to reach Completion Point in 2000, followed by Bolivia, Mozambique and Tanzania in 2001, Burkina Faso and Mauritania in 2002, Benin, Mali and Guyana in 2003, and Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Nicaragua, Niger and Senegal in 2004.
	A further six countries have reached Decision Point of the HIPC Initiative, and no longer make any payments to the UK. Of these, Cameroon, Guinea Republic, and Malawi reached Completion Point in 2000, followed by Sierra Leone in 2002, and Democratic Republic of Congo in 2003. These countries will receive substantial reduction from all creditors and 100 per cent. cancellation of UK debt and other G7 creditors' debt when they reach Completion Point. Other countries that have received debt relief under the HIPC Initiative did not owe any money to the UK.
	The UK has and continues to work with many HIPC countries on a partnership basis. Our country programmes have placed a high priority on assisting these countries as they move through the HIPC process.
	The UK has already cancelled the aid debts of the poorest countries under its Retrospective Terms Adjustment policy, and in 1997 launched the Commonwealth Debt Initiative to cancel the remaining aid debts of the 'poorer' (lower middle-income) Commonwealth countries committed to poverty reduction. This initiative covers Commonwealth countries with a GNI of less than US $3,115 and small island middle-income Commonwealth countries. Since 1997, 12 Commonwealth countries have benefited from this initiative: Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Mauritius, Solomon Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tonga, and Turks and Caicos Islands.
	In 2004 the UK announced a major new initiative for relief of multilateral debt. From January 2005, the UK will pay its share (10 per cent.) of the debt service owed to the International Development Association (IDA) and African Development Fund on behalf of eligible countries. The initiative already applies to 20 countries (i.e. the 15 post-HIPC countries, as well as Armenia, Mongolia, Nepal, Vietnam, and, in light of the South East Asia Tsunami, Sri Lanka) and more will benefit as they progress through HIPC and strengthen their public expenditure management. The UK is actively working to encourage other countries, in particular our G8 partners, to contribute to the initiative in order to provide full multilateral debt relief.

Departmental Spending

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his latest estimate is of unallocated departmental spending in (a) 2005–06, (b) 2006–07, and (c) 2007–08; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the answer provided by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on Wednesday 2 February 2005, Official Report, column 91OW.

Electronic Barter

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the (a) economic and (b) social opportunities afforded to developing countries by electronic barter and bilateral exchange mechanisms; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: DFID is aware of the international increase in electronic barter, and electronic trade exchanges. E-barter and e-payments are private sector initiatives, and international and local businesses will pursue economic opportunities in developing countries as they arise. DFID's activities in international trade policy, and capacity building, have not so far focused on electronic barter, or bilateral exchange mechanisms of this nature. DFID's trade strategy is being finalised at present, but there have been no requests from stakeholders in counterpart governments to include e-barter issues.
	DFID's concern on electronic exchanges, including the movement of funds, relate to the access of the poor and unbanked to electronic money and payment mechanisms. Access to electronic payment mechanisms is limited to those with access to bank accounts and credit cards in many cases, which currently excludes the majority of the world's poor. DFID's current focus on banking the unbanked" is consistent with preparing the way for the poor to benefit from electronic payment mechanisms.

Engineers without Borders

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the value to the (a) rural and (b) environmental work force gained through the participants of the Intermediate Technology Development Group project run by the Engineers Without Borders UK in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID is aware of the good work undertaken by Engineers without Borders UK and their international network of associate organisations. Their placements of engineering students in developing countries and related small scale research projects have had a positive impact on peoples' lives. The universities and companies that support the scheme and students who volunteer are to be congratulated. In Sri Lanka however EWB has not approached DFID for finance for any of their programmes and we have therefore undertaken no assessment of their work there.

Engineers without Borders

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how much (a) financial assistance, (b) logistical assistance and (c) assistance in kind has been provided to Engineers Without Borders UK by his Department for the programme in Bario with the Organisation for Sustainable Engineering in South East Asian Nations since its inception; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has undertaken of the (a) economic, (b) social and (c) humanitarian impact of the Organisation for Sustainable Engineering in the South East Asian Nations project undertaken by Engineers Without Borders UK in Bario; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: DFID is aware of the good work undertaken by Engineers without Borders UK and their international network of associate organisations. EWB have made a positive impact upon peoples lives through the placement of engineering students in developing countries and by supporting related small-scale research projects. The universities and companies that support the scheme and students who volunteer are to be congratulated. However, Malaysia is a relatively wealthy country and does not receive any support from DFID. We have therefore provided no funding for EWB nor undertaken any assessment of their work in Bario.

Freedom of Information

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is in respect of the publication (a) on the departmental website and (b) by placing copies in the Library of (i) all or (ii) a selection of the information disclosed in response to Freedom of Information requests since January.

Hilary Benn: It is DFID's policy that, where information released in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI request) is of wider public interest, it will also be published on the departmental website. DFID has no policy of placing copies of FOI disclosures in the Library.
	Guidance on Publication Schemes, issued by the Department for Constitutional Affairs in July 2002, recommended that where information is disclosed to an individual in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act, Departments and NDPBs should consider whether the information disclosed is of general interest and include released information in the Publication Scheme where appropriate.

Equal Pay

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the gender gap among staff in his Department.

Hilary Benn: DFID carried out an equal pay audit in 2003 for staff below the Senior Civil Service. No significant gaps were found. A summary of the review will be placed in the Libraries of the House shortly. The document will be entitled Equal Pay Audit, Department for International Development, April 2003".

Haiti

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has set aside to contribute to Haiti's local and national elections in October and November; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The UK is supporting the rehabilitation of Haiti through our substantial contributions to the multilateral funds of the United Nations and the World Bank. Specifically we will be contributing to the election process in Haiti through an EU contribution of 12.5 million euros (£8.625 million 1 ) earmarked for this purpose. The UK's share of this amount is 12.7 per cent. or approximately £1.1 million.
	1 At exchange rate prevailing on 9 February 2005 of €1: £0.69
	Also, through DFID's small grants scheme in Haiti we are supporting a project with £20,000 for election preparation/electoral process awareness in the north west of Haiti. This is being done in cooperation with the UK non-governmental organisation CARE International. This initiative builds on a previous grant of £250,000 from the civil society challenge fund that supported civic education on citizenship and civil society responsibilities.

HIV/AIDS

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on the alleviation of HIV/AIDS in each year since 1997.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID's Bilateral spending on AIDS and sexual reproductive health in each year since 1997 is as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1997–98 38 
			 1998–99 45 
			 1999–2000 76 
			 2000–01 191 
			 2001–02 217 
			 2002–03 274 
			 2003–04 297

HIV/AIDS (Children)

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what priority his Department is giving to HIV/AIDS orphans and vulnerable children in developing countries in preparation for the UK presidency of the G8.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: I refer my hon. Friend to the response given to her on 13 January 2005, Official Report, column 622W.

HIV/AIDS (Children)

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what steps the Government are taking to ensure that his Department's field offices are able to track the spending of the £150 million allocated to meeting the needs of HIV/AIDS orphans and vulnerable children;
	(2)  what indicators will be used to monitor the spending of the £150 million allocated to meeting the needs of HIV/AIDS orphans and vulnerable children; and when such monitoring will take place.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: From 1 January 2005 DFID has introduced a new input sector code for Social protection for orphans and vulnerable children" to enable DFID staff to properly track and monitor the £150 million commitment. Activities to be captured under this code include:
	Legislation, institutional building, special programmes for orphans, street children, children vulnerable to HIV and AIDS and other vulnerable children, cash transfers to vulnerable families, exemption from school/health centre fees, food security and livelihoods, combating child labour.

HIV/AIDS (Children)

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps will be taken by the Government to ensure that his Department's field offices in countries with large numbers of HIV/AIDS orphans and vulnerable children help to increase the capacity of Government services in those countries to provide support and protection for such children.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The UK is committed to spending at least £150 million over the next three years on our response to the orphans and vulnerable children crisis. £44 million will go through UNICEF, £85 million through DFID country programmes in Africa, £5 million in Asia and £2 million on scientific research. At least a further £14 million will be programmed as needs emerge.
	Through its country programmes, DFID supports many governments to advance their national OVC plans through the health and education sectors, social protection programmes and working with civil society. To date, 15 sub-Saharan African countries have drawn up national OVC action plans.

HIV/AIDS (Children)

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to ensure that civil society organisations in developing countries are able to access resources for meeting the needs of orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: We are fully committed to supporting the work of civil society organisations in addressing the AIDS pandemic. Indeed, much of the support to be funded by our OVC financing commitment will be implemented in partnership with both local and international CSOs. Our support via UNICEF will also feature CSO partnerships at country level.
	A further specific means of ensuring that CSOs are appropriately involved in responding to the needs of children affected by AIDS is through our agreements with key UK organisations such as HelpAge International and Save the Children, which include AIDS work as a key objective. We are increasing our Civil Society Challenge Fund from £10 million to £14 million this year and actively encourage proposals from NGOs wanting to provide support where it is needed.

In-house Magazines

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much has been spent on the production of in-house magazines in the Department in each year since 1997.

Hilary Benn: DFID has an electronic equivalent of an in-house" magazine though our internal Intranet" since 2004. This replaced a printed newsletter, which had been defunct since the late 1990s. The costs of the electronic magazine are subsumed within the running costs of the Intranet team and could not be separated out without disproportionate cost.

Iraq

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of how many people have returned to live permanently in Fallujah since the recent military action in the city; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many people living in Fallujah have access to water and electricity;
	(3)  how many hospitals are open and treating patients in Fallujah; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  how many schools in Fallujah are open and are teaching pupils; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what recent visits have been made by officials from his Department to Fallujah; when each visit took place; what reports have been sent to him following such visits; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The Multi-National Force Iraq estimates that around 30,000 people have now returned to live in Fallujah.
	Safe drinking water is available to everyone living and working in Fallujah from standing water tanks which are filled daily. Bottled water is also available for all citizens at humanitarian assistance sites. Piped water supplies are being restored.
	Reconstruction of power transmission and distribution is continuing. Mains electricity and street lighting have been reconnected in some areas. However, most residences are not connected. Power is being supplied to hospitals from stand-alone generators.
	Fallujah general hospital and the Jordanian hospital on the outskirts of Fallujah are open and treating patients. Three primary care clinics and one mobile clinic are also in operation.
	15 schools are open in Fallujah, with around 670 pupils as of 7 February. The Iraqi Ministry of Education is increasing efforts to publicise the opening of schools in order to encourage greater attendance.
	DFID staff and consultants based in Baghdad have been visiting Fallujah regularly since military operations concluded, to participate in weekly co-ordination meetings and monitor the situation on the ground. The first meeting in Fallujah attended by DFID took place on 6 December and the most recent on 7 February. DFID humanitarian and conflict advisers have also visited the city. Reporting and analysis based on these visits are provided regularly to London.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of levels of mental illness in Iraq (a) before and (b) since March 2003; and what assistance his Department is providing for mental health services in Iraq.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: In its 'Health in Iraq' report of September 2004, the Iraqi Ministry of Health (MoH) states that accurate data on mental disorders are scarce. However, the MoH notes that clinical impressions suggest a substantial problem, especially in relation to post-traumatic stress. It also notes the lack of mental health services and that new approaches to community mental health are needed. A national workshop, conducted by the MoH in June 2004, discussed priorities for mental health promotion and strengthening of services.
	Improving all types of health services in Iraq will take time. However, steady progress is being made. The MoH has produced Planning Guidelines for 2005, with support from donors. The UN and World Bank managed multi-donor trusts funds, to which DFID has contributed £70 million, provide support to the health sector. DFID has also provided technical assistance to the MoH, directly and through the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the numbers of livestock owned by Fallujah residents that were killed in recent military action in Fallujah; and what steps his Department is taking to assist residents of Fallujah who have lost their livelihood as a result of military action.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: Information about numbers of livestock killed in Fallujah is not available.
	Since the end of hostilities in Fallujah, DFID has been providing technical advice to the Iraqi Government's Fallujah Core Coordination Group (CCG) which has led on humanitarian and reconstruction work in Fallujah. The CCG is working closely with military forces and local leaders to ensure that compensation payments are made and essential services restored to enable normal life and economic activity to resume. Financial resources for reconstruction are being made available from the Iraqi budget and United States' sources.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to his answer of 2 February 2005, Official Report, column 911W, on Iraq, whether his Department has undertaken research to assess whether cash payments to the poor and unemployed rise at a similar level as prices for food, in circumstances where cash payments have replaced food rationing; what assessment he has made of whether this will happen in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: DFID has not undertaken research specifically into the issue referred to in the question. DFID is at present researching best practice towards social welfare protection measures generally in developing countries, and aims to produce a policy paper in October 2005.
	In Iraq, DFID is providing technical assistance to help prepare for future decisions by the Iraqi Government on the reform of the public distribution system for food. Our aim is to enable the Iraqi Government to establish a welfare system targeted at the poor and unemployed, which ensures that families in need are properly supported while removing the economic distortions and inefficiency created by the present system. The actual levels of cash welfare payments at any time will be for the Iraqi Government to decide in view of prevailing circumstances.

Publicity

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total expenditure by his Department on (a) advertising and (b) advertising and publicity was in (i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98 and (iii) 2003–04; and what the estimate of cost of each will be in (A) 2004–05, (B) 2005–06, (C) 2006–07 and (D) 2007–08.

Hilary Benn: Publicity forms part of our effort to raise awareness and understanding of international development issues in the UK. DFID does not hold a separate advertising budget. The majority of advertising relates to recruitment advertising in newspapers and journals.
	Expenditure on publicity was as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 (i) 1996–97 579,916 
			 (ii) 1997–98 399,755 
			 (iii) 2003–04 708,580 
		
	
	Estimated expenditure on publicity for 2004–05 is £1 million.
	In addition, a one-off publication, the 'Rough Guide To A Better World' has been produced in 2004–05. This innovative project aims to raise awareness of international development and the efforts to which everyone can contribute to improve the lives of people in developing countries. The cost of this publication has been shared between the budgets of Publicity and Development Awareness. The total cost of this production is expected to be £900,000 of which Publicity has contributed £500,000.
	Due to reorganisation of the Human Resources Division we do not hold figures for recruitment advertising for the period 1996–98. Advertising expenditure for 2003–04 was £339,173. Estimated expenditure for 2004–05 is £600,000 due to a larger number of posts being advertised.
	Budget allocation figures for 2005–08 for publicity and advertising are subject to discussion and are therefore not yet available.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Casinos

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether (a) regional chambers and (b) county councils will have a role in the allocation of regional casino licences.

Richard Caborn: I have been asked to reply.
	The process for the allocation of licences for regional casinos was set out in the Government's statement of national policy on casinos, published on 16 December 2004.
	For the first stage of this process, the Secretary of State will appoint an advisory panel to advise her on the areas in which the new regional casinos should be located. In taking forward its work, it will invite the regional planning bodies in England, whose function outside London is undertaken by the regional chambers, to identify a list of broad locations for regional casinos emerging from the work on their regional spatial strategies. At least 60 per cent. of the members of the regional planning body must be members of a range of authorities in the region, including county councils. Regional planning bodies are also required to seek the advice of county councils when revising regional spatial strategies.
	Under the Gambling Bill, potential casino operators will also be required to obtain a premises licence from their local licensing authority. The Bill provides that in the case of a county in which there are no district councils, the licensing authority is the county council.

Empty Dwellings

Jim Cousins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the empty dwelling management orders will come into effect.

Keith Hill: Subject to consultation on secondary legislation, and the views of Parliament, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects to bring the provisions in the Housing Act 2004 on Empty Dwelling Management Orders into force in England in October 2005.
	Commencement in Wales is a matter for the National Assembly.

Homelessness (London)

Sydney Chapman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what criteria were used to allocate funding to the London boroughs for initiatives to tackle homelessness in 2005–06.

Yvette Cooper: The 2005–06 homelessness grant allocations to London boroughs were based on a review of the 2003–04 and 2004–05 grants. The 2004–05 grants were composed of two elements. The first element allocated to all authorities was formula based reflecting historical levels of homelessness. The second element was awarded following a competitive bidding process open to all authorities.
	The evaluation criteria to decide the 2005–06 allocations were:
	historical levels of homelessness;
	how well they performed using homelessness grant in 2003–04 particularly in delivering on the rough sleeping and bed and breakfast targets;
	their delivery of the outcomes required as part of the 2004–05 grant through the implementation of their homelessness strategy and the value for money achieved;
	and
	their ongoing adherence to other conditions of grant set out in the grant determination regarding submission of quarterly performance monitoring reports and PIE returns.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will also be making some capital grant allocations to some London boroughs as part of a hostels capital improvement project. These grants have been targeted on areas that have succeeded in reducing rough sleeping, but still have a high level of single homelessness in hostels that are often no longer fit for purpose.

Houses in Multiple Occupation

Jim Cousins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the licensing system for houses of multiple occupation will come into force.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects the licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) will come into force in October 2005, subject to passage of the relevant secondary legislation.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently consulting on the proposals for implementation of the HMO licensing scheme in the consultation paper Licensing in the Private Rented Sector—Consultation on the Implementation of HMO Licensing". The closing date for responses was 9 February.

Housing Health and Safety

Jim Cousins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will publish the finalised Housing Health and Safety Rating System provided for in the Housing Act 2004.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister proposes to lay before Parliament in July a complete package of technical and enforcement guidance on the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, in accordance with section 9 of the Housing Act 2004. Draft technical guidance on the system ("Version 2") was published in November 2004, and we do not expect to propose substantive changes to that guidance before implementation of Part 1 of the 2004 Act, which is planned for October 2005.

Local Government Pension Scheme

Joan Humble: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many employees in England and Wales retired under the 85 year rule of the Local Government Pension Scheme in each year between 1997 and 2003;
	(2)  how many employees in England and Wales qualify for pension benefits under the 85 year rule of the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Phil Hope: The 85 year rule is not a qualifying condition which conveys a right to retire. It only determines whether and to what extent an actuarial reduction to a pension will apply. Consequently data on such decisions is not held centrally, and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Information on individual decisions taken by scheme members and their employers is best sought from the administering authorities responsible for the Local Government Pension Scheme in England and Wales.

Local Government Pension Scheme

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will estimate, in respect of the proposed changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme, how many employees in England and Wales would be affected by raising the earliest age when benefits may be paid, other than on grounds of ill health, from age 50 to 55 in each of the years between 1 April 2005 and 1 April 2015.

Phil Hope: Until such events occur, following an employer's decision in each specific case, it is not possible to provide this information, which, in itself, could be obtained only from the authority concerned.

Local Government Pension Scheme

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many employees in England and Wales retired before the age of (a) 60 and (b) 65 years in each year since 1997 under the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The administering authorities responsible for the 89 separate Local Government Pension Scheme funds in England and Wales may hold this information.

Meden Valley Partnership

John Mann: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what discussions have taken place between the Meden Valley partnership and (a) Nottinghamshire Mental Health Trust and (b) Mansfield primary care trust about stress-related health problems due to delays in regenerating housing in the Meden Valley.
	(2)  what provision English Partnerships and the East Midlands Development Agency are making for residents who refuse to move and who are not offered refurbished accommodation or low-cost home ownership on completion of the Meden Valley partnership project;
	(3)  whether he expects the guarantee given by his Department, the East Midlands Development Agency and English Partnerships that residents will be able to remain in the Royal Estate and Warsop Vale under the Meden Valley partnership housing regeneration programme to be maintained.

Keith Hill: I will write to my hon. Friend.

Tenancy Deposit Scheme

Jim Cousins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what date has been set for the introduction of the tenancy deposit scheme.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects tenants' deposits to be protected as from July 2006, subject to passage of the relevant secondary legislation and following a procurement exercise conducted during the second half of this year.

SCOTLAND

Aircraft Charters

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money his Department has spent on chartering aircraft in each of the past five years.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Since that date, no expenditure has been incurred chartering aircraft.

Departmental Catering

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many departmental (a) canteens and (b) bars there are; and how much has been spent on the (i) running, (ii) staffing and (iii) supply costs of each in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. In buildings where the Office is the sole occupier, there are no in-house canteens, bars or catering services. In accommodation shared with the Scottish Executive, catering services are provided by that Department as the major occupier.

Departmental Policies (Edinburgh, North and Leith)

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Edinburgh, North and Leith constituency, the effects on Edinburgh, North and Leith of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997.

Anne McGuire: My hon. Friend will no doubt receive from relevant Ministers comprehensive information about the impact of Government policies for the areas he mentions. The Scotland Office has no direct role in policy delivery apart from my right hon. Friend's responsibility for matters arising from the recent review of parliamentary boundaries and the conduct of elections to the Scottish Parliament. However, he speaks for Scotland in Cabinet and is always active in ensuring that Government policies take due account of Scotland's needs.

Energy Policy

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations his Department have made to (a) Ofgem, (b) the National Grid Company and (c) the Department of Trade and Industry regarding the impact on renewable energy producers in the highlands and islands of the third transmission charging proposal produced by the National Grid Company in December 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: Ministers and officials in the Scotland Office keep in contact with a range of stakeholders on the transmission charges to apply in future.
	We recognise the concerns raised about the potential impact of the proposed GB transmission charges on renewable generators in the highlands and islands and careful consideration will be given to whether there is a need to use the powers taken in the Energy Act to address them.

IT Projects

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list his Department's IT projects in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) amount spent, (b) purpose, (c) cost of over-run and (d) time of over-run.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established in July 1999.
	The Department's IT systems and support are provided by the Scottish Executive. There has been no Scotland Office specific projects since July 1999.

Parliamentary Constituencies

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  on what date the Government expects the Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order 2005 to secure Privy Council approval;
	(2)  if he will publish the report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland on the new parliamentary boundaries for Westminster constituencies.

Alistair Darling: I presented the fifth periodical report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland (Cm 6427) to Parliament on 14 December 2004, along with a draft of the Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order 2005. The Order was approved by the Privy Council on 9 February.

Rail Links

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what formal representations he has made to the Department for Transport on rail links between Scotland and mainland Europe.

Alistair Darling: Good rail links from Scotland for passengers and freight are essential. The scope for future development of rail services and infrastructure is kept under review.

Renewable Energy

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the First Secretary on energy pricing for renewables.

Anne McGuire: Scotland Office Ministers and officials are in touch with the Scottish Executive on a range of energy issues. Promotion of renewables and operation of the renewables obligation in Scotland are matters for the Executive.

Scottish Electors

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate how many electors there are in each of the new parliamentary constituencies in Scotland.

Anne McGuire: The most recent figures on the number of electors in each of the 59 new parliamentary constituencies in Scotland are not held by the Scotland Office, but are held by the relevant local Electoral Registration Officer.
	The electorate in each of the constituencies as at June 2001 is set out in the fifth periodical report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland (cm 6427) which my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Scotland, laid before Parliament on 14 December 2004.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004;
	(2)  if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004.

Anne McGuire: All special advisers' contacts with the media are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers".
	None of the special advisers who were in post during this period gave or made any attributable interviews or articles in their official capacity between the dates mentioned.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether departmental special advisers have attended meetings with external (a) bodies and (b) individuals, in their official capacity and without Ministers, since May 1997.

Anne McGuire: Special advisers hold meetings with a wide range of external representatives in their official capacity. All such meetings are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers".

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many complaints were made by departmental civil servants regarding the conduct of special advisers between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the former Minister for the Cabinet Office on 8 December 2004, Official Report, column 578W.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether departmental special advisers have made speeches in their official capacity since May 1997.

Anne McGuire: Any speeches made by special advisers in an official capacity are conducted in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers".

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  whether departmental special advisers have been responsible for authorising instances of departmental spending since May 1997;
	(2)  whether departmental special advisers have given instructions to permanent civil servants without the explicit authorisation of Ministers since May 1997.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on 16 December 2004, Official Report, column 1258W.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether departmental special advisers have written to external (a) bodies and (b) individuals in their official capacity since May 1997.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the former Minister for the Cabinet Office on 14 December 2004, Official Report, column 1004W.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether departmental special advisers have made appearances before parliamentary select committees in their official capacity since May 1997.

Anne McGuire: No.

Staff Surveys

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  how much has been spent on the production of in-house magazines in the Department in each year since it was established;
	(2)  how much was paid to consultants carrying out staff surveys in the Department in each year since it was established;
	(3)  what the cost of staff surveys in the Department was in each year since it was established.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Since that date, no expenditure has been incurred on in-house magazines, staff surveys or employing consultants to undertake staff surveys.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Commercial Waste Recycling

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will set targets for the recycling of commercial waste.

Elliot Morley: There are existing targets for recycling commercial waste under the Packaging Directive. The implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive will set additional targets.
	The Government's waste strategy aims to divert commercial waste from landfill and to increase its recycling.

Sugar Regime

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on reform of the sugar regime.

Margaret Beckett: As I have already reported to the House, the November 2004 Agricultural Council broadly accepted that the existing EU sugar regime is unsustainable. We now await detailed legislative proposals from the European Commission to take forward the approach set out in its July 2004 Communication.

Sugar Regime

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she next expects to meet sugar-beet growers from East Anglia to discuss changes to the EU sugar regime.

Alun Michael: Sugar beet growers from East Anglia will be well represented at the National Farmers Union Annual General Meeting, which my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State will address on 21 February.

Coral Reefs

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2005, Official Report, column 209W, on coral reefs, if she will make a statement on the implementation of the emergency European Commission measures to restrict bottom trawling for the protection of reefs.

Ben Bradshaw: The UK asked the Commission to use the emergency powers available under the Common Fisheries Policy framework regulation (Article 7 of Council Regulation 2371/2002) to prohibit the use of types of fishing gear which are known to damage the Darwin Mounds deep water coral reefs. These measures came into place in 2003 and were made permanent in 2004.
	The European Commission has used other legal instruments to protect coral reefs in the Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands.

Energy Efficiency

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to extend the Energy Efficiency Commitment to the commercial sector.

Elliot Morley: There are no plans at present to extend the Energy Efficiency Commitment to the commercial sector. The ongoing review of the Climate Change Programme will examine the scope for ways to realise further energy efficiency improvements in the commercial sector.

Supply Chain

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the supply chain between growers and retailers.

Alun Michael: The Government are keen to ensure that supply chains between producers and retailers operate efficiently to the benefit of all parties and have been supporting various initiatives in support of this aim.

Illegal Meat Imports

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on illegal meat imports.

Ben Bradshaw: DEFRA is fully committed to tackling illegal imports. We are spending £25 million over three years to address this problem. However, the risk of importing disease can never be reduced to zero. There is also a requirement for high standards of biosecurity inland.
	The Department co-ordinates the activity of the border enforcement agencies; provides information to assist in deploying their resources according to risk; and undertakes joint publicity campaigns to raise public awareness.

Bovine TB

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her most recent estimate is of the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in the west midlands.

Ben Bradshaw: Latest provisional TB statistics indicate that there are 175 cattle herds in the West Midlands, predominantly a metropolitan area. In 2004, none of these herds suffered a bovine tuberculosis incident.

Bovine TB

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle were slaughtered in the last recorded month as a result of bovine tuberculosis.

Ben Bradshaw: Latest provisional TB statistics indicate that 1,792 cattle were slaughtered as bovine tuberculosis reactors or direct contacts in December 2004.

Marine Conservation

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to introduce marine conservation legislation.

Elliot Morley: We have announced in the DEFRA Five Year Strategy that we will bring forward a Marine Bill some time in the next Parliament to deliver our vision of clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas. We are also introducing regulations later this year to extend the conservation requirements of the EU Habitats Directive beyond Territorial Waters.

Animal Welfare Bill

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to publish the Animal Welfare Bill.

Ben Bradshaw: The intention to include an Animal Welfare Bill in the Government's legislative programme was announced in the Queen's Speech.

Farm Animals (Compensation)

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what changes she plans to introduce to compensation arrangements for farm animals destroyed in epidemics.

Ben Bradshaw: In the long term it is our aim to rationalise compensation arrangements for all notifiable animal diseases. As a first stage, we hope to rationalise the compensation arrangements for four cattle diseases, namely bovine TB, brucellosis, enzootic bovine leucosis and BSE, later this year.

Agricultural Prices

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the National Farmers Union on setting minimum prices for sourcing of agricultural produce in the UK.

Alun Michael: No discussions have taken place between the National Farmers Union and the Secretary of State, or other Defra ministers, on setting minimum prices for UK sourced agricultural produce. There has been some correspondence between the National Beef Association and Ministers on beef prices.
	The Government take the view that the prices negotiated between farmers and purchasers are largely a private, commercial matter between the parties concerned. In 1999–2000, the Competition Commission carried out an extensive investigation into supermarkets which concluded that, taking all matters into consideration, the industry was broadly competitive and that, overall, excessive prices were not being charged nor excessive profits earned.
	However, it identified a number of practices engaged in by the larger supermarkets which, because of their buyer power, adversely affected the competitiveness of some of their suppliers. The recommendation of a Code of Practice was accepted and came into force in March 2002. The Office of Fair Trading have reviewed the effectiveness of the code and are currently carrying out an audit of supermarket practice. They hope to complete this shortly.

Animal Protection (European Legislation)

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on planned legislation at European Communities level on animal protection; what target groups will be approached by Eurobarometer surveys established in preparation of such legislation under Commission decision 2004/920/EC of 27 December 2004; what the total cost of pre-legislation surveys in this competence will be; and what the role is of Eurobarometer surveys in the legislative process.

Ben Bradshaw: The European Commission is expected shortly to publish proposals for a directive on the welfare of meat chickens. Detailed negotiations on the directive are likely to take place in the second half of this year, in the UK's presidency.
	Commission Decision 2004/921/EC allocates a maximum of €200,000 for a Eurobarometer survey on consumer attitudes towards the welfare of farmed animals. The study will not be targeted at specific groups but will focus on attitudes of the general public across the EU to farm animal welfare issues. The Commission has not published proposals for further surveys at this time.
	When preparing proposals for future legislation, the Commission will take into account scientific, veterinary and socio-economic evidence.

Avian Biodiversity

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent reports she has assessed on reductions in avian biodiversity.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra uses a variety of sources, including the latest monitoring data and research reports to assess avian biodiversity. A long-standing partnership between the statutory conservation agencies, and data providers such as the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, supports many of the bird monitoring and surveillance schemes currently organised in Britain and Northern Ireland.
	The results from different schemes are regularly assessed to provide insight into how bird populations are changing and, where possible, whether recruitment, survival or movement are responsible for the patterns observed. Sources such as the web pages for each species under the heading of Breeding Birds of the Wider Countryside Report (www.bto.org/birdtrends/index.htm) give summaries of their trends and some interpretations of the probable causes.
	Other key sources that Defra uses in monitoring avian biodiversity include the following:
	WeBS Alerts System (http://www.bto.org/survey/webs/webs-alerts-index.htm)—providing national and site-level trend information for wintering waterbirds numbers (WeBS is a partnership between BTO, WWT, RSPB and JNCC).
	Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) (http://www.bto.org/bbs/index.htm)—providing breeding bird results and online data submission facility (BBS is a partnership between the BTO, JNCC and RSPB).
	Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends/)—the 'one-stop-shop' for information about the population status of our common terrestrial birds—updated annually.
	Results from the seabird monitoring programme compiled by the JNCC (http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-1550), which in 2004 raised concerns about the populations of some of the UK's internationally important seabirds.
	In addition, Defra utilises a wealth of research material on birds, such as the recent review of the effects of climate change on birds (http://www.bto.org/research/advice/ecc/index.htm).

Bovine Passports

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many bovines there are in the UK without valid passports because of late applications; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: There are 32,340 animals in the UK without valid passports because of late applications. All have been registered on the Cattle Tracing System and issued with a Notice of Registration. 8,196 animals have since been granted passports following a successful appeal.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what scientific evidence the target of a 60 per cent. reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 is based.

Elliot Morley: The European Environment Council stated in 1996 the target of limiting global temperature rise to 2oC above pre-industrial levels, requiring stabilisation of carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere at levels below 550ppm. The Environment Council based the target on scientific evidence suggesting that the impacts arising from temperature change greater than 2oC are likely to be severe enough to be classified as dangerous, and therefore to be avoided under the terms of Article 2 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The target has subsequently been reaffirmed, although the science is continually under review to assess the relevance of the target.
	The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution supported this level of stabilisation in its report Energy—the Changing Climate, published in June 2000, taking account of the scientific assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The Government's Energy White Paper, published in 2003, accepted the findings of the Royal Commission. The 60 per cent. target is consistent with the emissions reductions needed by 2050 from developed countries if carbon dioxide is to be stabilised at levels below 550ppm, taking emissions from developing countries into account. Greater reductions will be needed beyond 2050. The scientific analysis is discussed in the paper The scientific case for setting a long term emissions reduction target published by Defra in 2003 and available on the Department's website.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress the UK has made in meeting the Government's carbon emissions reduction targets for 2010.

Margaret Beckett: The UK remains on course to comfortably achieve its target under the Kyoto Protocol, with greenhouse gas emissions about 21 per cent. below base year levels in 2010. The current review of the Climate Change Programme will consider what additional measures are needed to reach our national goal of a 20 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide by 2010.

Climate Change

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the work her Department is undertaking in respect of adaption policies as a result of climate change.

Elliot Morley: I assume the hon. Member means to refer to adaptation policies.
	The Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change conference convened by the Department from 1–3 February this year built on the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and concluded that there was greater clarity and reduced uncertainty about the impacts of climate change across a wide range of systems, sectors and societies. In many cases the risks identified were more serious than previously thought. This conference underlined the need for urgent work on climate change adaptation as well as mitigation.
	At the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 10th Conference of the Parties in December 2004, the Department supported negotiations that established the five year Buenos Aires programme of work on adaptation and response measures. This includes work on the scientific, technical and socio-economic aspects of impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change as well as provisions for financial support for adaptation in developing countries through UNFCCC funds to which the UK Government contributes. The Department also supports projects in India, China and Africa to provide underlying climate science and impacts assessments to underpin the development of adaptation strategies.
	Domestically, a climate change perspective is already incorporated into a number of policy areas, including planning guidance, water resource management plans and health advice. The Department is working with other Government Departments, local authorities and investors to improve awareness and understanding of the implications of climate change and to encourage the development of adaptation strategies. In this context, the Department funds the UK Climate Impacts Programme, which helps organisations to assess their vulnerability to climate change so that they can prepare their own adaptation strategies.
	The Department will develop an Adaptation Policy Framework during this year to coordinate efforts on adaptation across Government. Public and private sector organisations at local, regional and national levels will be crucial to the implementation of real adaptation action identified under this framework.

Clinical Waste

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what studies her Department has carried out into the consequences of incorporating clinical waste into the normal household collection system; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  whether it is her Department's policy to support the scrapping of separate collections by local councils for clinical waste;
	(3)  whether her Department has consulted with the Environment Agency on the scrapping of separate collections by local councils for clinical waste.

Elliot Morley: The Department has not carried out any studies into the consequences of incorporating clinical waste into the household waste collection system and has no plans to do so. Similarly, it has not consulted the Environment Agency about the ending of separate collections by local authorities for clinical waste.
	Clinical waste should be collected separately from household waste because of the potential risks to public safety and the environment.

Cockling (Morecambe Bay)

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the Minister for Nature Conservation and Fisheries will make an official visit to the Morecambe Bay Lifeboat to discuss cockling in Morecambe Bay.

Ben Bradshaw: I have agreed to meet my hon. Friend, with the hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Mr. Collins), to discuss Morecambe Bay issues.

Cockling (Morecambe Bay)

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the Minister for Nature Conservation and Fisheries will meet the hon. Members for Morecambe and Lunesdale and for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Mr. Collins) to discuss a fisheries licensing scheme for cockle-pickers in Morecambe Bay.

Ben Bradshaw: I have agreed to meet the hon. Members. In the meantime I have written to the hon. Member for Morecambe and Lunesdale about the licensing issue and invited her to make any further suggestions she has regarding Morecambe Bay.

Combined Heat and Power

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time members of staff in her Department, excluding agencies and secondees, are working on issues relating to combined heat and power; and if she will estimate the average proportion of their time spent on these issues.

Elliot Morley: Two members of staff work full-time on CHP; another two spend at least 50 per cent. of their time on CHP; and a further two spend between 10–25 per cent. on CHP. Up to a dozen additional staff work on CHP from time to time. These figures exclude consultants with the necessary technical expertise who support Defra's CHP team by, among other activities, administering the CHPQA programme which provides the yardstick for measuring good quality CHP.

Common Agricultural Policy

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the benefits to English farmers of the reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy made in 2003.

Alun Michael: We expect the reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy to deliver a number of benefits to English farmers. In particular, the decoupling of subsidy from production means that farmers will be free to farm for what the market wants, rather than what the subsidy regime dictates, helping them to become more market oriented and competitive. Initially, farm incomes in England are expected to increase very slightly, with restructuring of businesses and greater efficiency encouraged by decoupling likely to give rise to further improvements in the longer term, relative to what would have happened in the absence of reform.
	In addition, the single payment scheme replaces a number of sectoral schemes so should reduce paperwork and bureaucracy. Initial studies indicate that time spent by farms on relevant form filling will be reduced by 60 per cent. by 2007, when considering the SPS and any additional forms related to entry level stewardship.

Community Plant Variety Office

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the activity of the Community Plant Variety Office in the UK in the last 12 months; and if she will list its publications and newsletters published over that period.

Ben Bradshaw: In 2004 the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) funded the conduct of technical tests in the UK on a range of plant species for which applications had been made to the CPVO for grants of Community Plant Breeders' Rights.
	During this period the CPVO also granted financial support towards the maintenance of reference collections of ornamental plant species in the UK and commissioned activity on research projects for improving reference collections.
	Publications from the Community Plant Variety Office, including its Official Gazette and Annual Reports, can be accessed on the CPVO website at www.cpvo.eu.int.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when she will reply to the letter dated 24 November 2004 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. G. Bibby;
	(2)  when she will reply to the letter dated 29 November from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. G. Bibby.

Alun Michael: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State responded on 7 February.

Egg Industry

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure the retention of a competitive UK egg industry after the next World Trade Organisation round.

Alun Michael: The Government believe that a strongly liberalising outcome to the current round of World Trade Organisation negotiations, the Doha Development Agenda, will benefit UK consumers and producers alike. In pursuing this objective it is mindful of the difficulties some sectors may face and is anxious to ensure that no sector is unfairly put at a competitive disadvantage. We believe there is clear consumer demand in the UK for products meeting high levels of quality, safety and animal welfare. Our Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food is designed to help UK producers to meet this demand. In a WTO context, we continue to press for the introduction of animal welfare provisions which will recognise the additional costs faced by those such as the UK egg industry in complying with high EU animal welfare standards.

Environmental Treaties

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the US Administration about its policy on countries entering into international environmental agreements as a condition of bilateral trade agreements.

Elliot Morley: We are not aware of any such policy on the part of the US government and Defra Ministers have therefore not discussed the issue with the US authorities.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch Presidency of the EU the Advisory Committee on waste management met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how many times during the (a) Italian (b) Irish and (c) Dutch Presidency of the EU, the Advisory Committee on waste management met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: During the Italian Presidency, which took place between July to December 2003. the Waste Management Committee met in Brussels on the 4 November.
	During the Italian Presidency, which took place between January to June 2004. there was a joint meeting of the Waste Management Committee and IPPC Experts on the 12 May which was held in Brussels.
	During the Netherlands Presidency, which took place during the last six months of 2004, the Waste Management Committee met on the 1 September in Brussels. The UK is normally represented at these meetings by at least one Defra official.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the Committee for the adaptation to technical and scientific progress of the Directive on methods of measurement and frequencies of sampling and analysis of surface water intended for the abstraction of drinking water in the member states met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Committee did not meet during these presidencies.

European Environment Agency

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the activity of the European Environment Agency in the UK in the last 12 months; and if she will list the publications and newsletters published by the Agency over that period.

Elliot Morley: The European Environment Agency (EEA) does not operate directly within its member countries. Most of its work is carried out through contractual arrangements with national organisations. The EEA coordinates this activity within the UK and elsewhere mainly through the European environment information and observation network (Eionet), which is a partnership network of over 900 experts and over 300 organisations in 37 countries. Additionally, the EEA has established five European topic centres to support data collection, management and analysis. One of these (for water) is a consortium of institutions headed by WRc PLC, based in the UK. The EEA is responsible for developing the network and coordinating its activities. The UK network within Eionet consists of nine main institutions either contracted to carry out work for the EEA or supplying expertise and data to fulfil national reporting obligations. Coordination of the national network within the UK and liaison with the EEA is done by the National Focal Point (NFP) based in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who also supply the UK representative on the EEA Management Board. The UK NFP also produces a twice yearly newsletter to keep contacts and other interested stakeholders up to date on EEA activities.
	In 2004 the EEA published 23 reports, technical reports and briefings on environmental topics in paper form, listed in Table 1. In addition the Agency published a brochure 'Eionet connects', detailing the workings of the network. The EEA makes these reports and many other documents available on its website, including its Annual Reports and Annual Management Plans.
	
		Table 1: EEA Publications January 2004 to January 2005 inclusive
		
			 Report Publication Date Type 
		
		
			 Annual European Community CLRTAP emission inventory 1990–2002 05 January 2005 Technical report No. 6/2004 
			 Analysis of Greenhouse gas emission trends and projections in Europe 2004—Draft 21 December 2004 Technical report No. 7/2004 
			 Greenhouse gas emission trends and projections in Europe 2004 21 December 2004 EEA Report No. 5 /2004 
			 Air pollution and climate change policies in Europe: exploring linkages and the added value of an integrated approach 16 November 2004 Technical report No. 5/2004 
			 EEA Briefing 4 -2004—Transport biofuels: exploring links with the energy and agriculture sectors 10 November 2004 Briefing No. 4/2004 
			 Analysis of greenhouse gas emission trends and projections in Europe 2003 26 October 2004 Technical report No. 4/2004 
			 EEA Briefing 3 -2004—Transport and environment in Europe 19 October 2004 Briefing No. 3/2004 
			 10 key transport and environment issues for policy-makers 19 October 2004 EEA Report No. 3/2004 
			 Transport price signals 20 September 2004 Technical report No. 3/2004 
			 Impacts of Europe's changing climate 18 August 2004 EEA Report No. 2/2004 
			 Annual European Community greenhouse gas inventory 1990–2002 and inventory report 2004 14 July 2004 Technical report No. 2/2004 
			 EEA Briefing 2 -2004—Energy subsidies and renewables 04 July 2004 Briefing No. 2/2004 
			 Energy subsidies in the European Union: A brief overview 03 June 2004 Technical report No.1/2004 
			 EEA Signals 2004 01 June 2004  
			 An inventory of biodiversity indicators in Europe, 2002 12 May 2004 Technical report No 92 
			 High nature value farmland—Characteristics, trends and policy challenges 29 April 2004 EEA report No. 1/2004 
			 Agriculture and the environment in the EU accession countries—Implications of applying the EU common agricultural policy 28 April 2004 Environmental issue report No. 37 
			 Exploring the ancillary benefits of the Kyoto Protocol for air pollution in Europe 13 April 2004 Technical report No. 93 
			 Air pollution in Europe 1990–2000 31 March 2004 Topic report No. 4 /2003 
			 Mapping the impacts of recent natural disasters and technological accidents in Europe 23 March 2004 Environmental issue report No. 35 
			 Arctic environment: European perspectives 15 March 2004 Environmental issue report No. 38/2003 
			 EEA Briefing 1/2004—Halting the loss of biodiversity in Europe 09 February 2004 Briefing No. 1/2004 
			 EMEP/CORINAIR Emission Inventory Guidebook—Third edition, October 2003 update 19 January 2004 Technical report No. 30 
		
	
	Note:
	Reports are available from the EEA Website: http://reports.eea.eu.int/index_table?sort=Published

Farming Subsidies

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total amount of subsidy received by the British farming industry was in each of the last three years; how much will be paid in the next three years; from which funding sources this money originates; how much was received from (a) market regimes and (b) import tariffs; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: Figures for subsidy received by the British farming industry in each of the last three years and forecasts of amounts to be paid in the next three years are set out in the table.
	These forecasts are based on the position as at 30 November 2004 and do not take into account the Ministerial Statement of 1 December 2004 concerning the future of the Over Thirty Month Scheme.
	The figures for import tariffs have been provided by HM Customs and Excise. Customs and agricultural duties within the common Customs Tariff constitute own resources of the European Union.
	Net receipts of agricultural duties for the past three years are as follows:
	
		£ million
		
			  Amount 
		
		
			 2001–02 305 
			 2002–03 305 
			 2003–04 341 
		
	
	Source:
	HM Customs and Excise Trust Statement
	Since 1 January 2001, member states may retain 25 per cent. of these duties by way of collection costs.
	However, agricultural levies are not forecast separately into the future. It is combined with Customs duties under the heading customs duties and levies". The figure for Customs duties and levies for 2004–05 is £2.1 billion and the forecast for 2005–06 is £2.1 billion (announced at the pre-Budget in December 2004).
	
		Farming subsidies PQ—British farming industry subsidy expenditure on farm-based schemes -- £000
		
			  2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 
		
		
			 England—CAP Pillar 1 farm-based schemes 1,331,478 1,351,929 1,578,672 1,830,035 1,698,819 1,672,124 
			 England Rural Development 148,871 198,345 220,357 251,000 284,403 285,553 
			 Scotland 329,600 380,273 409,275 395,694 430,000 448,216 
			 Wales 156,348 139,196 220,919 203,195 222,340 221,860 
			 Northern Ireland 159,467 183,565 197,077 209,090 233,044 247,795 
			 Forestry Commission 9,554 14,175 10,325 12,560 13,220 13,220 
			 Over Thirty Months Scheme payments to farmers 191,690 245,178 196,466 178,691 181,268 174,740 
			 Total 2,327,008 2,512,661 2,833,091 3,080,265 3,063,094 3,063,508 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. CAP Pillar 1 farm-based schemes in the UK are 100 per cent. funded by the EC.
	2. Rural development in England and OTMS is co-funded by the EC and UK Exchequer.
	3. Payments made by Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Forestry Commission cover expenditure incurred on both CAP Pillar 1 farm-based schemes (100 per cent. EC funded) and rural development schemes (co-funded by the EC and the UK Exchequer).
	
		Farming subsidies PQ—British farming industry subsidy expenditure on principal farm-based non-BSE schemes -- £000
		
			  2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 
		
		
			 England—Pillar 1 Farm based(2) 1,331,478 1,351,929 1,578,672 1,830,035 1,698,819 1,672,124 
			 England Rural Development—EC funded 59,029 73,388 83,717 100,000 118,400 185,100 
			 England Rural Development—UK funded 89,842 124,957 136,640 151,000 166,003 100,453 
			 Scotland(3) 329,600 380,273 409,275 395,694 430,000 448,216 
			 Wales(3) 156,348 139,196 220,919 203,195 222,340 221,860 
			 Northern Ireland(3) 159,467 183,565 197,077 209,090 233,044 247,795 
			 Total 2,125,764 2,253,308 2,626,300 2,889,014 2,868,606 2,875,548 
		
	
	(2) CAP Pillar 1 farm-based schemes in the UK are 100 per cent. funded by the EC.
	(3) Payments made by Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland cover expenditure incurred on both CAP Pillar 1 farm-based schemes and rural development schemes.
	Note:
	This table excludes all disease control and public health measures.

Fish Quotas

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the proportion of the 10 most landed fish species under North Sea Total Allowable Catches fished within the UK 200 mile median limit.

Ben Bradshaw: None of the fish stocks that involve the North Sea are exclusively within the United Kingdom's fisheries limits as they also include parts of other sea areas as well. For these stocks, no separate part of the Total Allowable Catch is related exclusively to the UK waters involved, and as such the question as asked cannot be answered.
	To calculate an estimate as requested would require information on the catches by vessels of other member states. Such information is only available in terms of totals for the sea areas involved, and this does not include any breakdown of catches in terms of those caught within the UK 200 mile or median line limit. Such estimates could thus only be made available through requesting such information from the individual member states concerned.

Fish Quotas

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures relating to (a) UK vessels and (b) accession state vessels European Union institutions are bringing forward to address increases in fishing capacity in EU waters since 1 May 2004.

Ben Bradshaw: Since the end of the fourth and final stage of the Multi-annual Guidance Programme (MAGP) in 2002, the existing member states' fleets, including that of the UK, have been subject to overall limits on tonnage (GT) and power (kW), known as reference levels. The 10 new member states were not part of the MAGP mechanism, however the Commission is working with them to urgently establish suitable reference levels which will apply retrospectively (from the date of accession). In addition, all potential new entries to the fleet in any member state (including those of the 10) must be offset (in tonnage and power terms) by equivalent withdrawals.

Flooding

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list communities recorded by the Environment Agency as being subject to flooding in 2000, giving in each case the number of (a) commercial and (b) residential properties flooded; and for how many and what percentage of properties in each community (i) flood defences have been improved, (ii) flood defence improvements have been approved but not yet implemented and (iii) flood defences improvements have been approved.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 17 January 2005
	The Environment Agency is the principal authority responsible for managing flood risk in England. The Agency has provided as much information as possible, subject to disproportionate cost limitations, and a copy will be made available in the Library of the House.
	I regret it has not been possible, without incurring disproportionate cost, to categorise the properties flooded in 2000 by commercial and residential use, or the other exact details of the other questions. The information placed in the Library will however indicate the considerable progress and investment made in reducing flood risk.

Foot and Mouth

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in how many settled claims for compensation for animals destroyed in the foot and mouth epidemic payments were (a) below £100,000, (b) exactly £100,000 and (c) over £100,000.

Ben Bradshaw: There were 10,383 claims below £100,000, no claims for exactly £100,000, and 3,110 claims over £100,000.

Fuel Poverty

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent on tackling fuel poverty in each year since 1997 in (a) England and (b) Stoke-on-Trent.

Elliot Morley: The Warm Front Scheme the major programme to tackle fuel poverty in the private sector in England, was launched in June 2000. From that time until the end of January 2005 the annual expenditure on Warm Front in England was:
	
		£ million
		
			  Approximate total spend 
		
		
			 2000–01 72 
			 2001–02 197 
			 2002–03 163 
			 2003–04 164 
		
	
	The budget available for 2004–05 is £169 million.
	The total approximate expenditure on Warm Front in Stoke-on-Trent Central during that period was:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2000–01 65,700 
			 2001–02 1,120,000 
			 2002–03 626,000 
			 2003–04 615,000 
			 2004–05(4) 388,000 
		
	
	(4) Up to end of January 2005.
	Annual Expenditure under the previous Home Energy Efficiency Scheme from June 1997 and May 2000 was approximately £60 million.
	The annual estimated expenditure in Stoke-on-Trent Central during that period was:
	
		£
		
			  Estimated expenditure 
		
		
			 1997–98 70,400 
			 1998–99 102,500 
			 1999–2000 133,700

Intervention Prices

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average intervention price for (a) skimmed milk powder, (b) butterfat powder, (c) wheat and (d) beef was in pounds sterling for each year since 1992; and what the proposed price levels are for (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007 and (iv) 2008.

Alun Michael: The actual intervention prices for skimmed milk powder, wheat and beef since 1992 are shown as follows. The rates in pound sterling are dependent on the exchange rate in force on the date of the operative event pertaining to individual purchases.
	
		Skimmed Milk Powder
		
			 From (ECU/EURO per 100 kg) 
		
		
			 14 May 1990 172.43 
			 1 July 1993 170.20 
			 1 February 1995 205.52 
			 1 July 2004 195.24 
			 1 July 2005 184.97 
			 1 July 2006 174.69 
		
	
	
		Wheat
		
			 From (ECU/EURO per tonne) 
		
		
			 1993–94 117.00 
			 1994–95 108.00 
			 1995–96 100.00 
			 2000–01 110.25 
		
	
	
		Beef
		
			 Prior to: (EURO per tonne) 
		
		
			 1 January 2000 Information not readily available 
			 From:  
			 1 January 2000 3,475 
			 1 July 2000 3,242 
			 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002 3,013 
		
	
	No provision has ever been made to support butterfat powder by intervention.
	With the exception of the 2005 and 2006 rate for skimmed milk powder, the RPA does not currently hold any information on the proposed rates for skimmed milk powder, wheat and beef for the 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 years.

Intervention Prices

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) UK-produced and (b) EU-produced (i) skimmed milk powder, (ii) butterfat powder, (iii) wheat and (iv) beef was (A) bought into intervention and (B) sold out of intervention (1) within the EU and (2) outside the EU for each year since 1992.

Alun Michael: Details of the quantities of products purchased into, and sold out of, intervention in the UK between 1 October 1995 and 30 September 2004 are set out in the following tables.
	The Rural Payments Agency does not have sufficient information readily available:
	on quantities purchased or sold prior to 1 October 1995;
	to distinguish between the quantities of goods produced in the UK and the EU; or
	to distinguish between EU and non EU sales.
	No provision has ever been made to support butterfat powder under the intervention arrangements.
	
		Intervention purchases and removals skimmed milk powder
		
			 Tonnes 
			 Date Purchases Removals 
		
		
			 1 October 1995 to 30 September 1995 28,430.000 680.000 
			 1 October 1996 to 30 September 1997 20,716.000 1,840.000 
			 1 October 1997 to 30 September 1998 33,100.000 2,354.000 
			 1 October 1998 to 30 September 1999 17,256.000 19,011.825 
			 1 October 1999 to 30 September 2000 0.000 75,570.750 
			 1 October 2000 to 30 September 2001 0.000 3,325.000 
			 1 October 2001 to 30 September 2002 25,639.000 1,245.025 
			 1 October 2002 30 September 2003 30,729.000 7,882.425 
			 1 October 2003 to 30 September 2004 1,816.000 8,554.925 
			 Total 157,686.000 120,463.950 
		
	
	
		Beef
		
			 Tonnes 
			 Date Purchases Removals 
		
		
			 1 October 1995 to 30 September 1995 27,631.444 3,557.893 
			 1 October 1996 to 30 September 1997 69,005.861 10,170.119 
			 1 October 1997 to 30 September 1998 11,934.175 11,031.841 
			 1 October 1998 to 30 September 1999 1,266.677 57,779.765 
			 1 October 1999 to 30 September 2000 0.000 36,153.676 
			 1 October 2000 to 30 September 2001 0.000 13.461 
			 1 October 2001 to 30 September 2002 0.000 0.000 
			 1 October 2002 30 September 2003 0.000 0.000 
			 1 October 2003 to 30 September 2004 0.000 0.000 
			 Total 109,838.157 118,706.755 
		
	
	
		Wheat
		
			 Tonnes 
			 Date Purchases Removals 
		
		
			 1 October 1995 to 30 September 1995 0.000 0.000 
			 1 October 1996 to 30 September 1997 0.000 0.000 
			 1 October 1997 to 30 September 1998 2,066.840 0.000 
			 1 October 1998 to 30 September 1999 40,700.920 25,346.080 
			 1 October 1999 to 30 September 2000 0.000 17,119.160 
			 1 October 2000 to 30 September 2001 0.000 0.000 
			 1 October 2001 to 30 September 2002 404.200 0.000 
			 1 October 2002 30 September 2003 994.320 994.320 
			 1 October 2003 to 30 September 2004 0.000 707.340 
			 Total 44,166.280 44,166.900

Intervention Prices

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent from EU funds in (a) intervention purchases and (b) export restitution for each agricultural product for each year since 1992.

Alun Michael: Details of expenditure from EU funds on intervention purchases for each year since 1992 are shown in table I.
	The RPA does not hold details of expenditure on export refunds during 1992 following the introduction of a redeveloped computer system in 1993. Details of expenditure on export refunds since 1993, for each agricultural product sector, are shown at table II.
	
		Table I: Intervention purchases—1992–93 to 2003–04
		
			 £000 
			  Beef Butter Cereals Milk powder 
		
		
			 1992–93 194,293 3,958 86,585 0 
			 1993–94 10,574 10,482 142,162 8,724 
			 1994–95 0 0 2,398 1,944 
			 1995–96 0 0 128 0 
			 1996–97 158,581 12,727 1,187 50,706 
			 1997–98 114,881 0 44,912 35,189 
			 1998–99 7,470 0 72,969 37,687 
			 1999–2000 0 18,271 9,960 17,940 
			 2000–01 0 2,454 1,429 0 
			 2001–02 0 6,022 68 3,680 
			 2002–03 0 0 7,625 17,809 
			 2003–04 0 0 0 26,869 
		
	
	
		Table II: Export refund paid from EU funds—calendar years 1993–2005 -- £000
		
			  Sugar Oils Eggs Poultry Pigmeat Beef 
		
		
			 1993 83,238.59 6.02 408.13 2,653.61 1,911.96 64,078.03 
			 1994 68,648.35 37.82 280.97 3,096.58 2,411.80 67,238.02 
			 1995 73,642.11 253.48 279.39 2,379.32 1,916.56 103,562.50 
			 1996 61,765.04 17.49 152.92 823.20 1,781.20 12,158.00 
			 1997 60,804.29 221.21 121.85 435.23 650.92 321.49 
			 1998 96,330.92 1.98 234.41 323.58 1,638.92 66.36 
			 1999 97,653.86 0 308.03 524.04 2,919.97 0 
			 2000 71,863.11 0 235.11 199.71 2,973.00 52.46 
			 2001 70,527.24 0 191.61 51.53 423.82 25.45 
			 2002 74,105.46 0 216.02 97.01 268.74 23.82 
			 2003 87,869.39 0 172.57 68.48 326.38 20.79 
			 2004 123,623.66 0 174.68 56.73 557.54 18.01 
			 2005 15,329.92 0 18.27 7.11 41.40 1.11 
		
	
	
		
			  Milk and milk products Fresh fruit and veg. Processed fruit and veg. Cereals Rice Non annex I 
		
		
			 1993 100,251.72 32.61 1,437.32 197,279.64 27.57 53,635.54 
			 1994 116,244.68 56.72 1,488.88 129,084.78 29.13 57,087.21 
			 1995 100,842.41 41.86 1,287.57 49,184.23 22.62 51,411.23 
			 1996 90,735.61 28.99 1,225.68 20,707.53 30.14 48,511.61 
			 1997 141,062.39 19.53 847.76 40,470.45 21.17 39,819.17 
			 1998 97,627.47 15.53 813.13 25,904.26 6.41 37,885.90 
			 1999 73,431.78 22.03 716.50 55,130.30 1.61 39,420.37 
			 2000 70,824.56 21.51 689.50 39,155.24 7.78 32,738.33 
			 2001 34,986.88 18.43 554.27 3,137.64 12.25 24,155.42 
			 2002 55,298.03 16.16 473.99 161.36 9.79 32,679.64 
			 2003 85,494.36 15.54 662.78 4,949.37 9.07 25,952.53 
			 2004 71,399.08 0 406.60 120.04 2.69 24,792.77 
			 2005 5,115.22 0.83 27.72 44.33 0 1,969.13

Mobile Phones

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many mobile phones have been recycled (a) wholly and (b) partly in each year since 1997.

Elliot Morley: No data was readily available on the number of handsets recycled per year since 1997. However, industry estimates that 18 million handsets are replaced every year and that in total over the last two years there have been about five million handsets taken by mobile phone recycling and refurbishment companies in the UK. It is further estimated by industry that about 60 per cent. of the handsets taken for recycling and refurbishment have been refurbished and tested in the UK and then sold for re-use abroad, mostly to Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. The remaining 40 per cent. have been sent for materials recycling.

Mobile Phones

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department has taken to encourage the recycling of mobile phones and their component parts by (a) businesses and (b) the general public; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Defra has been closely involved in developing implementation proposals for the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, which requires producers of electrical equipment, including mobile phones, to treat and recycle their products to target levels. The Directive sets out requirements for separate collection of WEEE from businesses and private householders. The Directive also requires that private householders are given information on collection facilities available to them in order to minimise the co disposal of WEEE as unsorted municipal waste.

Parliamentary Questions

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply fully to question reference 211860 regarding civil contingency planning for major floods.

Elliot Morley: I refer the hon. Member to my earlier reply of 3 February 2005, Official Report, columns 1023–24W.

Sewage Discharge

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information (a) her Department and (b) the Environment Agency collects on discharges of sewage into rivers; which rivers are monitored; and what data are collected in each case.

Elliot Morley: Defra obtains aggregated information from the Environment Agency on compliance of sewage treatment works in England and Wales with their discharge consents. This information is published in the e-Digest of Environmental Statistics at the following Defra website location:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/inlwater/iwdischcmp.htm
	Information on individual river stretches is available in the What's in your backyard" section at the following Environment Agency website location:
	http://216.31.193.171/asp/1_introduction.asp?language =English
	The Environment Agency routinely monitors about 40,000 kilometres of running freshwaters representing almost the whole of the river and canal system in England and Wales. Monitoring data include chemical and biological parameters reported annually and included in the Government's headline quality of life indicators, and concentrations of phosphate and nitrate.
	The aesthetic quality of the water environment, including sewage derived waste, is monitored at about 450 sites.
	The Environment Agency is currently establishing a system requiring sewerage companies to provide information on daily flows of treated effluent discharges from sewage works. This will enable the Agency to compile information on how much treated effluent is discharged on a monthly and yearly basis. This system is expected to be in place by April 2006.

Sewage Discharge

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps her Department is taking to prevent the network of combined sewage and storm water overflows discharging raw sewage into the River Thames;
	(2)  what investment is planned from 2005 (a) to improve the quality of effluent discharged through overflows, (b) to increase the storage capacity at sewage and wastewater treatment works and (c) to ensure that more sustainable drainage systems are used in the future growth of London.

Elliot Morley: Since 2001 officials from my Department have been involved in a strategic study of the environmental impact of intermittent storm sewage discharges to the Thames Tideway. The Thames Tideway Strategic Study Group includes members from Thames Water, the Environment Agency, the Greater London Authority and the Office of Water Services (Ofwat). The remit of the study is to identify problems caused, and to propose potential solutions, having regard to costs and benefits.
	In June 2004 an interim report from the study was submitted to Defra. I carefully considered the findings and proposals and decided that further investigations were needed into the proposed long-term interceptor tunnel solution, and possible smaller-scale measures, which could provide earlier improvements to the overflow discharges.
	As a result, the Final Guidance from the my right hon. Friend, Secretary of State, to the Director-General of Ofwat concerning water company price limits from 2005–10, published on 4 October 2004, indicated further work needed to be done. The Final Determination published by Ofwat on 2 December 2004 included provision for funding of further investigations by Thames Water.
	I expect the Study Group to report back to Ministers on the outcome of the further investigations as soon as possible. At that point Ministers will consider options for an appropriate course of action. Any investment required can then be considered by Thames Water and Ofwat.
	Thames Water's price limits for 2005–10 include provision for significant treatment capacity increases at Mogden, Beckton and Crossness sewage works. The capacity increases are expected to reduce the frequency and impact of storm water discharges from these works, although no increases to the storm sewage storage capacity at these works is planned.
	Funding provision has also been made to improve the continuous treated discharge at Riverside sewage works, and to enable Thames Water to continue to deploy two oxygenation vessels to the tidal Thames whenever the Environment Agency considers they are needed to reduce the impact of overflows following rainfall events.
	It is one of Defra's aims to promote sustainable infrastructure, such as sustainable drainage systems in future housing projects, such as the Thames Gateway.

Sewage Discharge

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what obligations there are on Thames Water to maintain and update its sewage system; and what action she has undertaken to ensure that its sewage systems remain well maintained and updated.

Elliot Morley: Sewerage undertakers are under a statutory duty under section 94 of the Water Industry Act 1991, enforceable by the Secretary of State or the Director General of Water Services, to provide, improve and extend public sewers (whether inside its area or elsewhere) and cleanse and maintain those sewers in order to ensure the effectual drainage of their area.
	In the treatment and disposal of sewage, Thames Water must meet obligations set by European and domestic legislation. These obligations are specified in discharge consents issued and enforced by the Environment Agency.
	My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, gave guidance to the Director General of Water Services on policies for the Periodic Review of water price limits for 2005–10. The guidance identified proper attention to existing assets, maintenance, leakage and sewer flooding together with building on the already much improved water environment with further evidence based improvement among its priorities.
	Following that guidance, Ofwat's final determination for Thames Water includes an assumption of £1,366 million capital investment to maintain and upgrade its sewerage infrastructure in the period 2005–10. This will include capital maintenance to maintain the serviceability of their assets, and to sustain levels of service to their customers; investment to meet the demands of new customers; environmental improvements to deliver Government policy; and investment to remove properties from the risk of flooding from overloaded sewers.

Soil/Ground Water Pollution

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has commissioned on the duration of damage to (a) soil and (b) ground water on land that was used for (i) munitions production or (ii) fireworks production; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Environment Agency has published two documents regarding the potential for contamination of land at former explosives manufacturing sites (including fireworks). Both deal with the characteristics of the potential contaminants at such sites. This includes their solubility and biodegradability which can be used to indicate the likelihood of them persisting at the site and the methods required to investigate and remediate such contamination.
	These reports are:
	R and D Technical Report P5–042/TR/03
	Land Contamination: Technical Guidance on Special Sites: Explosives Manufacturing and Processing Sites.
	Project Record P5–036/01
	Collation of Toxicological Data and Development of Guideline Values for Explosive Substances, Collation of Physicochemical data.
	This second document is the first step in the production of Contaminated Land Exposure Assessment (CLEA) Soil Guideline Values.
	The Agency has also produced general guidance on the assessment of natural attenuation (the dispersion or breakdown) of contaminants in groundwater:
	R and D Publication 95
	Guidance on the Assessment and Monitoring of Natural Attenuation of Contaminants in Groundwater
	Defra has two publications in its Industry Profiles" series on munitions and firework production. This series provides information on the processes, materials and waste associated with individual industries, with respect to land contamination:
	Chemical Works: explosives, propellants and pyrotechnics manufacturing works;
	Engineering Works: mechanical engineering and ordnance works.

Staff Training

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the costs of departmental (a) staff training days and (b) staff development days held away from the Department were in each year since 1997.

Alun Michael: Through its Learning and Development Strategy Defra links training opportunities closely to its current and future business needs and provides access to training to develop staff to their full potential.
	The costs of centrally provided learning and development opportunities in each year since Defra was created were:
	
		£
		
			  Staff training Staff development Total 
		
		
			 2000–01 570,779 70,825 641,604 
			 2001–02 1,012,178 28,792 1,040,970 
			 2002–03 1,400,279 (5)183,784 1,584,063 
			 2003–04 462,749 (5)1,237,291 1,700,040 
			 2004–05 170,899 (5)2,493,914 2,664,813 
			  3,616,884 4,014,606 7,631,490 
		
	
	(5) Includes Senior Management Leadership Development Programme

Supermarkets

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the supermarkets' code of practice on purchasing from farmers.

Alun Michael: The supermarkets code of practice seeks to regulate a limited number of practices engaged in by the major supermarkets in their dealings with their direct suppliers, relatively few of whom are farmers.
	Responsibility for the code rests with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). In February 2004 OFT published a report of its review of the operation of the code. This can be found on the OFT website at: www.oft.gov.uk/news/press+releases/2004/28–04.htm.
	The review concluded that there was a widespread belief among suppliers that the code was not working properly, but it found no hard evidence for this belief. Given the reluctance of suppliers to provide specific evidence of alleged breaches of the code, the OFT has commissioned a focused audit of the four supermarkets bound by the code. The purpose of the audit is to establish hard facts about compliance with the code as a basis for any further action. The OFT hopes to publish a report of the audit in the next few weeks.

Waste Management

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the (a) costs and (b) benefits of introducing a zero waste strategy;
	(2)  what discussions she has had with (a) municipalities in other countries and (b) local authorities in the United Kingdom that have adopted zero waste strategies;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the use of zero waste strategies in (a) municipalities in other countries and (b) local authorities in the United Kingdom.

Elliot Morley: No assessment has been made by government of the cost or benefits of introducing a zero waste strategy.
	No specific discussions have taken place with (a) municipalities in other countries and (b) local authorities in the United Kingdom, on zero waste strategies and no assessments have been made of the use of such strategies.
	Waste Strategy 2000" set out the Government's priorities for sustainable waste management. The Government's response to the Strategy Unit Report Waste Not Want Not" identified further steps to be taken to help deliver our priorities and targets. Although Waste Strategy 2000" is not a zero waste strategy (either zero waste to landfill, or a totally closed resource cycle), it does demand substantial waste minimisation, and significantly increased levels of re-use and recycling.
	Local authorities in England are encouraged to adopt a waste strategy that is in line with the waste hierarchy in Waste Strategy 2000", which prioritises waste reduction, re-use and recycling.

Waste Management

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will consult on the inclusion of redesign in the waste hierarchy; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Waste Strategy 2000, which sets out the Government's priorities for sustainable waste management, included a commitment to carry out a review in 2005. This review will provide an opportunity for consultation on existing waste policies and delivery mechanisms.
	Although Waste Strategy 2000 does not include 'redesign' specifically within the waste hierarchy, both redesign and 'ecodesign' are identified as ways to achieve reductions in waste (see paragraph 2.10, WS2000, part 1, page 1 5; also paragraph 4.36, WS2000, part 2, page 45; and paragraph 5.6, WS2000, part 2, page 65).

Waste Management

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has evaluated on the effectiveness of use of the Estech Europe waste disposal method by local authorities; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Information about the effectiveness of the Estech Fibercycle process can be found on the Waste Technology Data Centre web page which is contained within the Environment Agency web site at www.environment- agency.gov.uk.
	The Waste Technology Data Centre is part of Defra's Waste Implementation Programme's New Technologies workstream and was set up to provide impartial information to local authorities about technologies in waste processing. It is managed by the Environment Agency on behalf of Defra.
	The Waste Implementation Programme was set up as a means of providing assistance to local authorities in establishing their strategies for diverting bio-degradable municipal solid waste from landfill as required by the Landfill Directive.
	A direct link to the Estech Fibercycle page can be found at www.environment-agency.gov.uk and then by navigating to wtd, waste technologies, physical, autoclave, estech fibre cycle process.

Waste Management

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to encourage increased clarity in the labelling relating to recycling on plastic packaging and containers; and if she will ensure that local authorities have consistent policies relating to the range of plastic materials that they will collect for recycling.

Elliot Morley: Commission Decision 97/129/EC provides numbering and abbreviations for the identification of packaging materials, including plastics. While the marking system is voluntary, we encourage manufacturers to use the markings where possible to aid the process of sorting and recycling of the plastic packaging waste.
	Government have set each local authority in England statutory performance standards for recycling and composting of household waste for 2003–04 and 2005–06. In addition, the Household Waste Recycling Act 2003 requires waste collection authorities—subject to certain exemptions—to provide a kerbside collection service of at least two recyclable materials by 2010. It is local authorities' responsibility to decide which range of materials they collect for recycling or composting, taking into account local circumstances, to help them meet the standards and the requirements of the Act. The Waste and Resources Action Programme supports and advises local authorities on separate collection of dry recyclables and organic wastes.

Waste Management

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent on waste management in the United Kingdom as a proportion of gross domestic product in each of the last five years; how much was Government expenditure in each year; what the projected expenditure as a proportion of gross domestic product is for each of the next five years; and how much she estimates will be Government expenditure in each year.

Elliot Morley: Information is not available centrally in the form requested. Figures are available for the total expenditure by local waste disposal and collection authorities in England on the management of municipal waste for each of the years from 1999–2000 to 2002–03. The table provides these figures and what this expenditure represents as a proportion of gross value added for England.
	
		
			  Gross Value Added for England at Current Basic Price in (£)(6) Net current expenditure on waste management expenditure by waste disposal and collection authorities in England in (£)(7) Waste management expenditure by waste collection and waste disposal authorities as a percentage of GVA in England 
		
		
			 2002–03 776,107,000 1,806,684 0.233 
			 2001–02 736,233,000 1,653,856 0.225 
			 2000–01 698,369,000 1,521,338 0.218 
			 1999–2000 668,857,000 1,423,278 0.213 
		
	
	(6) Under European System of Accounts 95 (ESA95), the term GVA is used to denote estimates that were previously known as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at basic prices. Under ESA95 the term GDP denotes GVA plus taxes (less subsidies) on products, i.e. at market prices. Regional accounts are currently only published at basic prices, so the figures are now referred to as GVA rather than GDP as in previous publications. Sourced from national statistics website www.statistics.gov.uk and then navigating through economy, regional gross value added, products results, NUTS1 Regional Gross Value Added (1989–2003) (data tables).
	(7) Current Prices from revenue outturn data at ODPM website www.local.odpm.gov.uk and then navigating through statistics, national statistics, revenue statistical releases.

Water Utilities (London)

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which water utilities serving Greater London were prosecuted in 2004 for serious environmental offences which resulted in a fine of over £1,000; what the nature was of the offences; and how much they were fined.

Elliot Morley: In 2004, Thames Water Utilities Ltd. and Anglian Water Services Ltd. were the only water utilities serving Greater London to be prosecuted for serious environmental offences. In all cases the prosecutions were brought under either:
	(a) Section 85(1) of the Water Resources Act 1991—permitting any poisonous, noxious or polluting matter or any solid waste matter to enter controlled waters, or
	(b) Section 85(3) or 85(3)(a) of the Water Resources Act 1991—permitting any trade effluent or sewage effluent to be discharged into any controlled waters, or to be discharged from land in England and Wales, through a pipe into the sea outside the seaward limits of controlled waters.
	Details of the offences including dates, location of offence and total fine imposed are set out as follows.
	
		
			  2004 Location of offence Offence Fine (£) Total fine (£) 
		
		
			 Anglian Water Services Ltd. 
			 1 17 June Wilstead, Bedfordshire Water Resources Act 1991, Section 85 (1) 18,000 18,000 
			 2. 7 October Bedford, Bedfordshire Water Resources Act 1991, Section 85 (3) 17,500 32,905 
			  7 October Bedford, Bedfordshire Water Resources Act 1991, Section 85 (3) 15,405  
			 Thames Water Utilities Ltd. 
			 3. 20 February Watford, Middlesex Water Resources Act 1991, Section 85 (3)(a) 8,000 8,000 
			 4. 2 July Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire Water Resources Act 1991, Section 85 (3)(a) 25,000 50,000 
			  2 July Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire Water Resources Act 1991, Section 85 (1) 25,000  
			 5. 7 July Fleet, Hampshire Water Resources Act 1991, Section 85 (3)(a) 18,000 18,000 
			 6. 9 August Burghclere, Berkshire Water Resources Act 1991, Section 85 (3) 12,500 12,500 
			 7. 27 August Otford, Kent Water Resources Act 1991, Section 85 (1) 10,000 10,000 
			 8. 29 September Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire Water Resources Act 1991, Section 85 (3) 12,000 12,000 
			 9. 15 October Crawley, West Sussex Water Resources Act 1991, Section 85 (3) 15,000 15,000 
			 10. 6 December Hendon, London Water Resources Act 1991, Section 85 (3) 7,000 7,000

World Economic Forum (Davos)

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her presentation to the World Economic Forum in Davos on 27 January 2005, and the outcome of the meeting.

Elliot Morley: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State appeared alongside the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, the Leader of the House of Lords, and the Government Chief Scientist Sir David King in three separate workshops on Climate Change at Davos.
	Reports on the sessions attended by the Secretary of State can be found at: www.weforum.org/annualmeeting/summaries2005.

TREASURY

Bank Accounts (Muslim Organisations)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has discussed with senior representatives of the Royal Bank of Scotland the closure of bank accounts of Muslim organisations by the bank.

Stephen Timms: Closure of bank accounts is a matter for individual financial institutions.

Child Trust Funds (Coventry)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children in Coventry south will benefit from the child trust fund.

Stephen Timms: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Martin Linton) on 30 November 2004, Official Report, columns 87–88W. All children born and living in the UK since 1 September 2002 whose families receive child benefit will be eligible for the Child Trust Fund.

Cold Weather Deaths (Greater London)

Tom Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths were attributed to cold weather and lack of heating in homes in the Greater London area in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 10 February 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many deaths were attributed to cold weather and the lack of heating in homes in the Greater London area in each of the last five years. (215162)
	Information is not readily available from death registration and certification to routinely attribute deaths to weather or heating in homes.

Departmental Policies

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, with statistical information relating as closely as possible to the constituency, the effect of his Department's actions and policies on Blackpool, South constituency since (a) 1997 and (b) 2001.

Stephen Timms: The Government have put in place a broad programme of both macroeconomic and microeconomic reform since our election in 1997 designed to better the economic performance of all parts of the UK. Since these policies were implemented the economic performance of the Blackpool, South constituency has improved considerably. For example, since May 1997, claimant unemployment has fallen by 46 per cent., and both long-term unemployment and long-term youth unemployment have fallen by over 80 per cent. Looking more specifically at improvements since the 8 of June 2001, the beginning of our second term in government, claimant unemployment has fallen by a third and long-term unemployment has fallen by 8 per cent.
	The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at http://neighbourhood.statistics. gov.uk./.

Departmental Policies

Chris Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Folkestone and Hythe constituency, the effects on Folkestone and Hythe of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997.

Stephen Timms: The Government have put in place a broad programme of both macroeconomic and microeconomic reform since our election in 1997 designed to better the economic performance of all parts of the UK. Since these policies were implemented, the economic performance of the Folkestone and Hythe constituency has improved considerably. For example, since May 1997, claimant unemployment has fallen by 56 per cent., and both long-term unemployment and long-term youth unemployment have nearly been eliminated, having fallen by 90 and 97 per cent. respectively.
	The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at http://neighbourhood.statistics. gov.uk./.

Departmental Policies

Chris Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Woodspring constituency, the effects on Woodspring of his Department's policies and actions since 2nd May 1997.

Stephen Timms: The Government have put in place a broad programme of both macroeconomic and microeconomic reform since our election in 1997 designed to better the economic performance of all parts of the UK. Since these policies were implemented, the economic performance of the Woodspring constituency has improved considerably. For example, since May 1997, claimant unemployment has fallen by 67 per cent., long-term unemployment has fallen by almost 95 per cent. while long-term youth unemployment has been eliminated.
	The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at http://neighbourhood.statistics. gov.uk./.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch Presidency of the EU the (i) Customs Co-operation Committee-EEC-San Marino, (ii) EEC-Denmark-Faroe Islands Joint Committee and (iii) European Economic Area Joint Committee met; when and where each meeting took place; what UK Government expert was present at each meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not readily available, because these committees are the province of the European Commission, and member states' officials do not attend.

European Investment Bank Loans

Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list projects during the last five years for which Treasury approval has been granted for European Investment Bank Loans in response to applications from (a) the National Assembly for Wales, (b) the Scottish Executive, (c) the Northern Ireland Executive, (d) local authorities in England, (e) local authorities in Wales, (f) NHS trusts in England and (g) NHS trusts in Wales.

Paul Boateng: The European Investment Bank's lending decisions are a matter for the Bank and the individual project promoters. The promoters submit potential projects, which are then assessed by the Bank against its lending criteria. Based on this assessment, the Bank's Board of Directors decide whether or not to approve an individual project.
	Under its Statute, the European Investment Bank has to ask for an opinion from the Government of the member state in which the project will take place.
	European Investment Bank loans do not readily break down into the categories requested. Listed in the following table are loans to UK projects approved in the last five years by the European Investment Bank, broken down by UK region. Details of lending to the UK broken down by sector are available on the EIB website http://www.eib.org.
	
		
			 Region/Project name Board decision Currency M Currency M Euro 
		
		
			 Multi-region 
			 C and W Communications Network Integration 1999 GBP 250 354.38 
			 AAE European Rail Freight Wagons PPP 1999 EUR 165 165 
			 GNER Rolling Stock 2000 GBP 105 166.06 
			 One-2-One Mobile Multimedia 2001 GBP 300 471.18 
			 HEFCE Higher Education Agency Loan 2001 GBP 100 161.42 
			 Telia Pan-European Viking Network 2001 EUR 65 65 
			 P&O North Sea Ferries 2001 GBP 40 63.64 
			 Halifax Plc. Urban Renewal Framework 2001 GBP 150 241.43 
			 National Grid Transmission II 2002 GBP 200 317.71 
			 South Central Trains New Rolling Stock 2002 GBP 200 307.79 
			 Abbey National Urban Renewal FW 2002 GBP 150 245.46 
			 BBC Worldwide 2002 GBP 25 40.91 
			 Princes Food and Drinks II 2002 GBP 25 40.4 
			 Transco Gas Transmission 2002 GBP 200 326.26 
			 UK-Norway Electricity Interconnector 2003 EUR 20 120 
			 Nationwide Building Society Urban Renewal 2003 GBP 100 146.16 
			 HBODS PPP Agency Framework Loan 2003 GBP 100 143.14 
			 Otto Versand E-Business (121+Reg. Dev.) 2003 EUR 58 58 
			 Air Products Europe II 2003 USD 100 86.04 
			 NHS Lift UK Primary Healthcare AG Loan 2004 GBP 150 222.65 
			 Flowserve Product Development 2004 EUR 10.5 10.5 
			 BAA Airports Modernisation III-Ten 2004 GBP 150 218.4 
			 RBS Urban Renewal Framework Loan 2004 GBP 100 149.09 
			 DLR Woolwich Arsenal Extension PPP 2004 GBP 75 111.82 
			 Britpipe Gas Importation (Ten) 2004 EUR 500 500 
			 Imperial College Infrastructure 2004 GBP 50 71.88 
			 M1 Westlink and M2 PPP 2004 GBP 65 93.31 
			 AAE Freight Rolling Stock (EU) 2004 EUR 55 55 
			 Total multi-region   28 4,953 
			  
			 Eastern 
			 North East London Hospitals PPP 2002 GBP 100 163.13 
			 Total Eastern   1 163.13 
			  
			 East Midlands 
			 Railtrack WCML Phase 1 (WCML-1) 1999 GBP 32 49.42 
			 Severn Trent Water VIII 1999 GBP 50 77.22 
			 THFC Urban Renewal II 1999 GBP 2.5 3.75 
			 National Power Generation 1999 GBP 219 346.35 
			 Severn Trent Water X 2000 GBP 150 215.33 
			 Total East Midlands   5 692 
			  
			 London 
			 Railtrack WCML Phase 1 (WCML-1) 1999 GBP 32 49.42 
			 A13 DBFO Road 1999 GBP 90 137.13 
			 THFC Urban Renewal II 1999 GBP 32.5 48.78 
			 Thames Water IV 1999 GBP 100 154.44 
			 Edmonton Waste to Energy 1999 GBP 20 30.89 
			 London Underground PPP 2000 GBP 900 1,508.30 
			 THFC Urban Renewal III 2000 GBP 21.07 33.32 
			 Thames Water V 2000 GBP 100 163.19 
			 BAA UK Airports Modernisation II 2001 GBP 70 122.16 
			 BAA Heathrow Terminal 5 2002 GBP 250 390.32 
			 BBC Broadcast 2002 GBP 66 103.21 
			 Seeboard Powerlink PPP 2002 GBP 45 71.49 
			 Royal London and Barts Hospitals PPP 2003 GBP 250 362.53 
			 Channel Tunnel Rail Link S2-Ten 2003 GBP 400 580.05 
			 Ford Engines RDI 2004 EUR 140 140 
			 Total London   15 3,885 
			  
			 North East 
			 Edmonton Waste to Energy 1999 GBP 20 30.89 
			 Sunderland Urban Renewal 2001 GBP 75 119.33 
			 Northumbrian Water XII 2002 GBP 100 158.86 
			 Newcastle Hospitals PPP 2003 GBP 115 175.39 
			 Sunderland Urban Renewal Phase II 2004 GBP 75 106.41 
			 Total North East   5 591 
			  
			 Northern Ireland 
			 Coolkeeragh ESB Power (AFI) 2003 GBP 150 208.45 
			 Facility for Education (N. Ireland) PPP 2004 GBP 150 215.33 
			 Total Northern Ireland   2 424 
			  
			 North West (inc. Merseyside) 
			 Railtrack WCML Phase 1 (WCML-1) 1999 GBP 136 210.04 
			 Ford Investment Framework-Europe 1999 EUR 600 600 
			 Mersey Docks Liverpool 1999 GBP 15 21.25 
			 THFC Urban Renewal II 1999 GBP 7 10.51 
			 Liverpool Schools PPP 2000 GBP 30 48.96 
			 THFC Urban Renewal III 2000 GBP 10.75 17 
			 North West Water XIII 2000 GBP 200 326.37 
			 United Utilities Distrib. And Renew. Gen. 2001 GBP 97 156.12 
			 Blackburn Hospital PPP 2002 GBP 50 82.17 
			 Manchester Hospitals PPP 2002 GBP 175 285.48 
			 Manchester Metrolink PPP-Phase 3 2003 GBP 135 194.92 
			 St. Helens and Knowsley Hospitals PPP 2003 GBP 180 259.89 
			 United Utilities Water 2004 GBP 200 291.21 
			 Total North West (inc. Merseyside)   13 2,504 
			  
			 Scotland 
			 Railtrack WCML Phase 1 (WCML-1) 1999 GBP 100 154.44 
			 Glasgow Schools PPP 1999 GBP 105 162.16 
			 THFC Urban Renewal II 1999 GBP 2.5 3.75 
			 SSE Electricity Trans. and Generation 1999 GBP 200 300.17 
			 National Power Generation 2000 GBP 45 71.17 
			 THFC Urban Renewal III 2000 GBP 6.45 10.2 
			 Edinburgh Schools PPP 2001 GBP 37 61.35 
			 SSE Renewable Generation 2002 GBP 100 156.13 
			 Glasgow Urban Renewal 2003 GBP 150 230.59 
			 North Lanarkshire Schools PPP 2003 GBP 75 107.59 
			 Highland Schools PPP 2004 GBP 60 89.06 
			 Argyll and Bute Schools PPP 2004 GBP 65 96.91 
			 Total Scotland   12 1,444 
			  
			 South East 
			 CTRL Phase 2-Section 2-PPP 1999 GBP 300 425.26 
			 Mersey Docks Liverpool 1999 GBP 15 21.26 
			 Isle of Grain Lng Terminal 2003 GBP 30 43.32 
			 Total South East   3 490 
			  
			 South West 
			 Railtrack WCML Phase 1 (WCML-1) 1999 GBP 36 55.6 
			 THFC Urban Renewal II 1999 GBP 1 1.5 
			 Wessex Water V 1999 GBP 100 152.37 
			 South West Water IX 2000 GBP 100 172.59 
			 THFC Urban Renewal III 2000 GBP 4.73 7.48 
			 Wessex Water VI 2000 GBP 75 122.39 
			 South West Water X 2003 GBP 60 87.69 
			 Cornwall Schools PPP 2003 GBP 37.5 52.11 
			 Total South West   8 652 
			  
			 Wales 
			 National Power Generation 2000 GBP 36 56.93 
			 United Utilities Distrib. And Renew. Gen. 2001 GBP 3 4.83 
			 Welsh Water (Glas Cymru) VIII 2004 GBP 35 52.65 
			 Ford Engines RDI 2004 EUR 105 105 
			 Total Wales   4 219 
			  
			 West Midlands 
			 Railtrack WCML Phase 1 (WCML-1) 1999 GBP 64 98.84 
			 Severn Trent Water VIII 1999 GBP 50 77.22 
			 Stoke-on-Trent Schools PPP 1999 GBP 40 60.95 
			 THFC Urban Renewal II 1999 GBP 1 1.5 
			 Dudley Group of Hospitals PPP 2000 GBP 70 112.59 
			 Birmingham Northern Relief Road PPP 2000 GBP 250 407.96 
			 Severn Trent Water IX 2001 GBP 150 238.66 
			 Jaguar Product Development 2002 EUR 300 300 
			 North Staffordshire Hospitals PPP 2003 GBP 200 288.52 
			 Land Rover Automotive Project Solihull 2003 EUR 250 250 
			 Ford Engines RDI 2004 EUR 105 105 
			 Total West Midlands   11 1,941 
			  
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 
			 THFC Urban Renewal II 1999 GBP 3.5 5.25 
			 Sheffield Schools PPP 1999 GBP 29 44.79 
			 Kirklees Schools PPP 2000 GBP 25 40.8 
			 Yorkshire Water XI 2001 GBP 100 159.11 
			 A1 DBFO Motorway 2002 GBP 128 208.81 
			 Rotherham Schools PPP 2002 GBP 50 78.19 
			 Wakefield Hospital PPP 2004 GBP 150 212.83 
			 Finningley Airport 2004 GBP 35 49.66 
			 Yorkshire Water XII 2004 GBP 100 143.55 
			 Total Yorkshire and the Humber   9 943

G7 Finance Ministers' Meeting

Llew Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what matters were discussed and what decisions were taken at the G7 meeting of Finance Ministers on 4 February; and if he will place in the Library copies of papers submitted to the meeting by (a) the United Kingdom and (b) other countries, that affected matters of interest to the United Kingdom.

Gordon Brown: The matters discussed at the 4–5 February G7 Finance Ministers meeting are set out in the 'Statement of G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors', the 'G7 Finance Ministers Conclusions on Development', and the 'Statement on the Meeting of G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors with Chinese Counterparts', all of which can be found at www.g7.gov.uk

Primate Seizure (Customs and Excise)

Tony Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will list the countries from which the primates seized by HM Customs and Excise since 1999 originated;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of what percentage of live primates entering the UK illegally are seized by HM Customs and Excise.

Dawn Primarolo: The following table elaborates on the information provided by the Economic Secretary on 8 November 2004, Official Report, column 504W, and lists the seizures of imported primates between 1999 and 2004. It includes details, where known, of the country of dispatch to the UK; this is not necessarily the country of origin.
	
		
			  Number of animals Common name Latin name Country of dispatch 
		
		
			 1999 6 live Mona monkeys Cercopithecus mona Guyana 
			 1999 6 live Spot nosed monkeys Cercopithecus Spp Guyana 
			 1999 1 cooked monkey Patas monkey Erythrocebus patas Cameroon 
			 1999 8 parts of monkey Not known Not known Congo 
			 2000 1 live Gibbon Hylobates Spp (8)— 
			 2000 1 live Lesser white nosed monkey Cercopithecus petaurista Ghana 
			 2000 1 live Golden cheeked gibbon Hylobates gabriellae (8)— 
			 2000(9) 11 smoked monkeys Not known Not known Cameroon 
			 2001 — — — — 
			 2002 1 dried monkey Not known Not known Cameroon 
			 2002 1 monkey tail Not known Not known Gambia 
			 2002 1 baboon skull Not known Not known Cameroon 
			 2003(9) 3 baboon skulls Hamadryas baboon Papio hamadryas Gambia 
			 2003(9) 4 monkey skulls Not known Cercopithecus Spp Gambia 
			 2003 1 monkey skull Not known Not known Malaysia 
			 2004 2 baboon heads Not known Not known Zimbabwe 
			 2004 1 dried monkey Not known Not known Congo 
			 2004 3 monkey skulls Not known Not known Thailand 
			 2004 1 baboon skull Not known Not known USA 
		
	
	(8) These seizures were made inland under powers contained in Regulation 5 of the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 (S11997/1372).
	(9) The importers in these cases were prosecuted under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979.
	Customs has also made a number of seizures under its enforcement responsibilities regarding products of animal origin, and some of these may have included meat from primates.
	Customs has carried out no formal assessment of the percentage of live primates entering the UK illegally from outside the EU as analyses are already available from Partnership Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) partners. The National Wildlife Crime Intelligence Unit (NWCIU) produces an overall assessment covering all aspects of UK wildlife related crime; their assessment is that there is little smuggling of live primates from outside the EU direct to the UK.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money has been charged to the Reserve in the last year for which figures are available in respect of UK operations in Iraq.

Paul Boateng: In estimates, the Ministry of Defence drew down £1,000 million in 2002- 03 and £1,539 million in 2003–04 for the costs of military operations in Iraq. These costs are met from the Reserve.

Queen's Flight

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  on how many occasions departmental Ministers have used the Queen's flight in each of the past five years;
	(2)  how much money his Department has spent on chartering aircraft in each of the past five years.

Stephen Timms: Since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing 500 or more during each financial year. The list published in 1999 covers the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1999. Where RAF/Private Charter aircraft are used this is shown in the list. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2004–05 will be published in due course. Travel by Ministers" makes clear that special flights may be authorised when a scheduled service is not available, or when it is essential to travel by air, but the requirements of official or parliamentary business or security considerations or urgency preclude the journey being made by a scheduled service. Equivalent detail about domestic travel could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many letters about tax credits have been received from hon. Members by (a) the Inland Revenue and (b) Treasury Ministers in each reporting period from 2002 to 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 8 February 2005
	Information on the number of letters received from hon. Members by the Inland Revenue and Treasury Ministers about tax credits in 2002–03 and 2003–04 is not available.
	Between 1 April 2004 and 31 December 2004 the Inland Revenue's tax credit office handled around 6,000 letters from hon. Members, around 900 of which were received by Treasury Ministers. Information on letters from hon. Members received by the rest of the Inland Revenue about tax credits in that period is not available.

Tax Credits

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations he received in December 2004 about problems relating to the overpayment of tax credits.

Dawn Primarolo: Treasury Ministers receive representations on a wide variety of issues, including tax credit overpayments. The tax credit office of the Inland Revenue also receives letters and telephone calls concerning tax credit overpayments.
	Inland Revenue's policy on tax credits overpayments is set out in COP26 'What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?', a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

VAT (Colleges)

Boris Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reduce the level at which further education colleges pay VAT to the level paid by schools.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 February 2005, Official Report, column 762W, to the hon. Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Lidington).

Youth Unemployment (Coventry)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of youth unemployment was in Coventry south in 2004.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Jim Cunningham, dated 10 February 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about youth unemployment in the Coventry South Parliamentary Constituency. I am replying in his absence. (215072)
	It is estimated that, for the twelve month period ending February 2004, 1,000 people aged between 16 and 24 resident in the Coventry South Parliamentary Constituency were unemployed. This estimate from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) is subject to sampling variability and is rounded to the nearest thousand.
	The Office for National Statistics also compiles statistics of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for local areas. In the year 2004, there were, on average, 475 young people aged 18 to 24 years claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) who were resident in the Coventry South Parliamentary Constituency.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Services

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were blue lighted in the Taunton and Somerset NHS Trust hospital in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Aircraft Charters

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money his Department has spent on chartering aircraft in each of the past five years.

Rosie Winterton: We are unaware of departmental Ministers or officials having chartered any planes.

Antiviral Drugs

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether he has stockpiled the antiviral drugs (a) Tamiflu and (b) Relenza;
	(2)  how many doses of (a) Tamiflu and (b) other antivirals the Government has stockpiled; and what plans his Department has to increase these stockpiles;
	(3)  what plans he has to maintain a supply of antiviral drugs to protect against a flu pandemic.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 1 February 2005
	Supplies of antivirals are available in the national health service to meet seasonal influenza demands. In addition, the Department has a national stockpile of 100,000 courses of Tamiflu and is currently reviewing arrangements for pandemic influenza, including the use of antivirals.

Cannabis

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of people were diagnosed with mental health problems directly relating to consumption of cannabis in the last year for which figures are available.

Melanie Johnson: The Department does not collect data on the number of people who were diagnosed with mental health problems directly relating to consumption of cannabis.

Childhood Vaccines

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will remove (a) formaldehyde, (b) mercury, (c) foetal calf serum and (d) monkey kidney cells from UK childhood vaccines.

Melanie Johnson: Formaldehyde is used as an inactivating agent to eliminate poliovirus infectivity. Also, it is used to inactivate diphtheria and tetanus toxins. Gluteraldehyde, a closely related chemical, is used to inactivate acellular pertussis toxins. The quantities present in the new vaccines are low, and less than 0.1 milligrams of formaldehyde and less than 0.02 mg gluteraldehyde per 0.5 millilitre dose. Formaldehyde is present naturally in the human body at levels of about 2.5 micrograms per ml of blood. For a two month old child, this is about 10 times as much as in the amount present in a single dose of vaccine. There is no evidence that these quantities pose a risk to health and there are no plans to remove these substances from vaccines.
	None of the current vaccines used in the childhood immunisation programme contain mercury. Thiomersal, which releases ethylmercury, has played an important role either as a preservative or in the initial stages of the manufacture of some vaccines for over 60 years. Thiomersal was contained in the diphtheria, tetanus and whole cell pertussis (DTwP) and diphtheria and tetanus vaccines. However, with the introduction of the new vaccine Pediacel on 27 September 2004, the routine childhood immunisation programme no longer includes mercury-containing vaccines.
	Foetal bovine serum is an essential growth supplement for the cells used for the propagation of live viruses. The bovine serums used have demonstrated compliance with European Union regulations for minimising the risk of transmitting animal spongiform encephalopathy agents via human and veterinary medicines. The serum is used solely in the early stage of the manufacturing process of the vaccine and is reduced to trace amounts during purification and dilution steps.
	The monkey kidney cell line used for the production of inactivated poliovirus in the new vaccines has been extensively examined for contaminating viruses. The cell line meets the requirements of the World Health Organisation and European Pharmacopoeia. To exclude the risk of extraneous viral contamination each production lot is examined for contaminating viruses during the production process. The viral inactivation process has been fully validated. No monkey kidney cells are present in the final vaccine.

Engagements

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to respond to the request of the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam for a meeting to discuss plans for a critical care hospital in Sutton and Cheam constituency.

Stephen Ladyman: I look forward to meeting the hon. Member on Wednesday 23 February to discuss this matter.

Dentistry

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what average length of time posts were vacant in the Community Dental Service for each year since 1997, in (a) England, (b) strategic health authorities and (c) primary care trusts; and what the vacancy rate was in each case.

Rosie Winterton: The information that is available centrally is collected in the national health service workforce vacancy survey and combines hospital, public health and community dentists. In March 2004, the vacancy rate from the survey for dental staff was 4.1 per cent. The only breakdown available is by strategic health authority (SHA). This is shown in the table.
	
		Three monthly dental staff vacancy rates in NHS trusts by SHA areas(10) (excluding training grades)
		
			 SHA Percentage rate 
		
		
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 6.1 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire (11)— 
			 Essex 14.3 
			 North West London 0.0 
			 North Central London 0.0 
			 North East London 3.6 
			 South East London 2.3 
			 South West London 0.0 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 4.1 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley (11)— 
			 North and East Yorks and Northern Lincs 18.3 
			 West Yorkshire 8.6 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 0.0 
			 Greater Manchester 5.3 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 0.0 
			 Thames Valley 6.8 
			 Hampshire and Isle Of Wight 0.0 
			 Kent and Medway —;(11) 
			 Surrey and Sussex 0.0 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 0.0 
			 South West Peninsula 5.3 
			 Dorset and Somerset 0.0 
			 South Yorkshire 6.5 
			 Trent 9.4 
			 Leics, Northants and Rutland 15.7 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 0.0 
			 Birmingham and The Black Country 0.0 
			 West Midlands South 0.0 
			 England 4.1 
		
	
	(10) SHA figures are based on trusts and do not necessarily reflect the geographical provision of healthcare.
	(11) Figures where staff in post and number of vacancies are less than 10. Three month vacancies are vacancies as at 31 March 2004 which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole-time equivalents).
	Source:
	Department of Health vacancies survey 2004.

Dentistry

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists have started work full-time in the NHS in response to the returning to dentistry campaign.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 31 January 2005
	The returning to dentistry campaign was aimed primarily at people returning from a career break who want to return to work part-time. We have been informed of 65 dentists who have returned to national health service dentistry since April 2004, equating to 37 whole time equivalent dentists. We do not collect information on which of these people returned to work in response to the Keeping In Touch scheme (ongoing) or the returning to dentistry campaign, which began at the end of June 2004.

Dentistry

David Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve NHS dentistry in the Eastleigh area.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 9 February 2005
	We are investing an extra £368 million in national health service dentistry, recruiting 1,000 more dentists by October 2005 and reforming the dental system to improve the long-term oral health of the nation. For 2005–06, this will increase the funds available for NHS dentistry by over 19 per cent. over the 2003–04 expenditure.
	In 2004–05, the Department has allocated a total of £50 million to strategic health authorities (SHAs) to support access. Of this sum, £1.5 million has been allocated to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight SHA, to improve access, choice and quality in NHS dentistry.
	Eastleigh and Test Valley South Primary Care Trust has developed a dental action plan and has received £176,000 to take this forward.

Dentistry

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve access to NHS dentists in Hendon.

Rosie Winterton: We have undertaken a review of the dental primary care workforce in consultation with representatives of the dental profession—professional bodies, dental academics, as well as the British Dental Association. The National Health Service workforce will be increased by the equivalent of 1,000 dentists by October 2005, allowing up to an extra two million people to be treated nationally.
	By April 2006, primary care trusts (PCTs) will be responsible for securing the provision of primary dental care services, either through a contract with an individual practices or by providing services themselves. PCTs, including those within London, have been drawing up local dentistry action plans setting out how they are using their proportion of the £59 million additional funding we have allocated to improve access to NHS dentistry this year, and their priorities for commissioning in 2005–06.
	Barnet PCT is also preparing for the new dental contract by working to develop an oral health and dental strategy aimed at improving the oral health of the local population, tackling health inequalities and supporting and planning dental services. This will allow the PCT to support and develop primary dental services in a proactive and co-ordinated Way.
	There are currently 208 general dental practitioners in Barnet PCT. This includes dentists, orthodontists and vocational trainee dentists providing NHS general dentist services from 87 practices. Barnet PCT has received an allocation in 2004–05 of £309,000 from the Department to support improved access and quality of dental services and there were 884 additional patient registrations between March and September 2004.
	Barnet PCT also has a dental access centre which is located in the walk-in centre at Edgware Community Hospital.

Dorset and Somerset Strategic Health Authority

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was granted to the Dorset and Somerset strategic health authority for (a) capital improvements and (b) capital new build in each of the last eight years; and what the budget is for the coming financial year.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Draper Report

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he expects the Draper Report on childhood cancer and electromagnetic field exposures from powerlines, to be published;
	(2)  when the data on which the Draper Report on childhood cancer and electromagnetic field exposures from powerlines is based was first received by his Department; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what assessment his Department has made of the data on which the Draper Report on childhood cancer and electromagnetic field exposures from powerlines is based; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what discussions his Department has held with (a) charities, (b) patient groups, (c) other organisations and (d) representatives of the power industry regarding the potential implications of the Draper Report on childhood cancer and electromagnetic field exposures from powerlines;
	(5)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the data on which the Draper Report on childhood cancer and electromagnetic field exposures from powerlines is based;
	(6)  if he will list the organisations with whom his Department has held meetings regarding the implications of the Draper Report on childhood cancer and electromagnetic field exposures from powerlines.

Melanie Johnson: A draft paper by Dr. Draper of Childhood Cancer Research Group at Oxford University into possible links between power lines and childhood leukaemia was submitted to a scientific journal and officials in the Department in November 2004. In accordance with the usual practice, publication will follow the appropriate peer review process and the publication date rests with the publishers. It would be inappropriate to comment on unpublished data, but we will ask the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) to consider the results when published.
	The NRPB's Advice on Limiting Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields" (Documents of the NRPB Vol 15 No 2 2004) noted that below the guidelines
	"an association between prolonged exposure to intense power frequency magnetic fields and a small raised risk of childhood leukaemia has, however, been found, the scientific reasons for which are presently uncertain. In the light of these findings and the requirement for additional research, the need for precautionary measures should be considered by Government".
	On the basis of this commendation precautionary measures are currently being considered by departmental officials in association with a large number of stakeholders including other Government Departments, the devolved administrations, the electricity supply industry, the electricity supply regulators and a number of non-government organisations and public concern groups.

Drug Addicts/Misuse

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made a comparative assessment of the social outcomes for drug users who are under treatment with (a) methadone and (b) buprenorphine; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: The Department has not commissioned any assessments comparing drug users who are under treatment with methadone, and those under treatment with buprenorphine, specifically in relation to social outcome.
	We recognise that there are both advantages and disadvantages for each treatment method. The choice for patients must be determined by the professional prescribing the treatment, taking all the circumstances of individual cases into account.

Drug Addicts/Misuse

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have received treatment for drug abuse in Coventry, South in the last 12 months.

Stephen Ladyman: The information is not collected centrally. However, it is available from the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System, which is now managed by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse. Their latest relevant publication (30 September 2004) is at: http://www.nta.nhs.uk.

Drug Treatment

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the percentage of people living within a 50 mile radius of Government-funded drug rehabilitation facilities.

Melanie Johnson: We have not made a formal estimate of the percentage of people in England living within a 50 mile radius of Government funded drug rehabilitation facilities.
	However, as drug action teams have responsibility for ensuring that their local populations have access to all forms of drug treatment, we would not expect anyone in England to be more than 50 miles from a Government funded drug rehabilitation scheme.

Drug Treatment

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on provision of drug treatment in Somerset.

Rosie Winterton: In line with our policy of Shifting the Balance of Power, it is now for primary care trusts (PCTs) in partnership with strategic health authorities (SHAs) and other local stakeholders to plan, develop and improve services for local people. We recognise that health services are better when management is devolved to the frontline. Within the framework set out in the NHS Plan and other policy documents, PCTs with their specialised knowledge of the local community are effectively able to manage and improve local services.
	I understand that in Somerset, the Somerset Partnership NHS and Social Care Trust are commissioned to provide specialist drugs services through their Somerset drugs service and complementary rehabilitation services are provided by the charity, Turning Point.
	In order to promote comprehensive provision for those requiring rehabilitation, specialist services and primary care services are increasingly provided through shared care arrangements. In such arrangements general medical practitioners are supported by specialist providers, such as the Somerset drugs service, in providing clinically safe and effective specialist services, based in a primary care setting, for individuals with complex needs. The South Somerset PCT is the lead organisation for primary care drug rehabilitation provision in Somerset.

Drug Treatment

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for a residential drugs rehabilitation place in Lancashire is.

Melanie Johnson: The average waiting time for a drug rehabilitation place in Lancashire was three weeks in December 2004.
	Source:
	National Treatment Agency

Elective Surgery

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned regarding the complication rates following elective surgery paid for by the NHS and carried out in (a) NHS hospitals and (b) private hospitals.

John Hutton: No specific research has been commissioned by the Department. However, the national confidential inquiry into patient outcome and death (NCEPOD), which is managed by National Institute for Clinical Excellence on behalf of the Department, reviews medical clinical practices and makes recommendations to improve the quality of the delivery of care. It does not however compare national health service hospitals with private hospitals. The reports are on their website www.ncepod.org.uk.

Infertility Treatment

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts in England offer women at least one cycle of IVF treatment on the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: We do not collect this information centrally. We commissioned the clinical guideline on the assessment and treatment of people with fertility problems from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) because we recognised that provision of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) is variable between primary care trusts (PCTs). We have welcomed the guideline, published in February 2004, and we have advised PCTs who provide no IVF treatment to meet a minimum national level of provision of one cycle by 1 April 2005. In the longer term we expect the national health service to make progress to full implementation of the NICE guideline.

LIFT Programme

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the total cost of the NHS LIFT programme to date.

John Hutton: Capital for National Health Service Local Improvement Finance Trusts (LIFT) is provided through private finance. 33 schemes have reached financial close with an estimated capital value of £433 million, for their initial schemes. 18 further schemes are in various stages of procurement and it is not possible to estimate a value for them.
	Three schemes have also closed on their second wave of buildings and their combined capital value is estimated at £60 million.
	The Government have to date made available, from public sources, £177.9 million of enabling funds.
	As new LIFT buildings open, primary care trusts are meeting the financial consequences of this from their revenue allocations. Information on this spend is not held centrally.

LIFT Programme

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to extend the NHS LIFT programme to cover dental practices; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: National Health Service Local Improvement Finance Trusts (LIFTs) provide improved primary care facilities for primary care trusts, to support the delivery of services required by their local population, which could include dentistry. Three of the five new LIFT buildings, in East London, Barnsley and Wigan, include, or are planning to include, provision for dentistry.

Mental Health Care

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the average waiting time is for a mental health appointment in Somerset;
	(2)  how many people consulted an NHS mental health doctor in Somerset in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many reports the National Institute for Clinical Excellence has produced in the last five years.
	(2)  how many new (a) technologies and (b) treatments the National Institute for Clinical Excellence has recommended in the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: Since the establishment of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) in 1999, it has published 86 technology appraisals, 23 clinical guidelines and 99 pieces of guidance on the safety and efficacy of interventional procedures (as of January 2005). Many NICE guidance publications address more than one technology or treatment.
	To date, hundreds of thousands of people have benefited from the guidance produced by NICE. Its guidance has spanned a wide range of important topics, including technologies to tackle major killers, such as cancer and coronary heart disease. NICE itself is recognised as a world leader in its field and its methodologies for health technology assessment have been commended by the World Health Organisation Further information on the work of NICE is freely available on its website at www.nice.org.uk.
	The Department does not hold detailed information on the number of new drugs and treatments covered by NICE guidance.

Parking

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on (a) provision of parking spaces for civil servants and (b) parking tickets and penalties incurred by civil servants in the Department in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The expenditure incurred by the Department on the specific provision of car parking spaces for civil servants is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Amount (£) 
		
		
			 1997 1,000 
			 1998 1,000 
			 1999 1,000 
			 2000 1,000 
			 2001 1,000 
			 2002 0 
			 2003 900 
			 2004 2,240 
		
	
	It is departmental policy not to reimburse the cost of parking tickets or penalties for staff.

Parliamentary Questions

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the question tabled by the hon. Member for Chichester on 6 December 2004, ref. 202257.

Rosie Winterton: I have replied to the hon. Member today.

Performance Measurement

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health from what sources the data for measuring performance against standards on medicine review in (a) the National Service Framework for Older People and (b) the GP contract are drawn; and what the frequency of collection is in each case.

Stephen Ladyman: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 3 February 2005, Official Report, columns 1118–119W.

Prevenar

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when the vaccine Prevenar will be available on the NHS;
	(2)  what recent representations he has received on the effectiveness of Prevenar in preventing pneumococcal disease;
	(3)  what the findings were of the research commissioned by the Department on the effectiveness of the vaccine Prevenar.

Melanie Johnson: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended in principle the introduction of pneumococcal vaccine for children, subject to further consideration. Full details can be found at http://www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/jcvi/index.htm.
	Since our meeting last year, I have received a total of 10 letters and questions from hon. and right hon. Members on Prevenar.
	The JCVI has considered information published in the scientific literature on the effectiveness of Prevenar and also considered some currently unpublished surveillance data on the impact of Prevenar used in the United States.
	In addition, phase II clinical trials were carried out with a nine-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to investigate whether the same level of protection could be achieved when the vaccine was given at two, three and four months of age (at the same time as the meningitis C conjugate vaccine) compared with the US primary schedule at two, four and six months of age. The results of this study showed that good protection was achieved using the two, three and four months schedule.
	A two-dose primary immunisation schedule of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine given at two and four months was also compared to the three-dose schedule. The results of the trials supported the use of a two-dose primary immunisation schedule, with each dose separated by two months, in the first four months of life. The data also supported a single dose catch up programme for children aged one year and over.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 departmental special advisers travelled (a) domestically and (b) abroad in an official capacity; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost.

Rosie Winterton: This table shows details of all domestic journeys taken by special advisers, between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004.
	
		
			  Journey Cost (£) Air/rail 
		
		
			 16 May 2003 London/Doncaster 92.00 Rail 
			 16 May 2003 London/London-Heathrow Airport 21.00 Rail 
			 21 May 2003 London/Chester 233.00 Rail 
			 19 June 2003 London/Watford 16.80 Rail 
			 1 July 2003 London/Witham 38.00 Rail 
			 18 July 2003 London/Welwyn Garden City 12.00 Rail 
			 22 July 2003 London/York 108.50 Rail 
			 23 July 2003 Leeds/London 107.00 Rail 
			 13 August 2003 London/Manchester 269.00 Rail 
			 5 September 2003 London/Newcastle 127.00 Rail 
			 10 September 2003 London/Brighton 42.20 Rail 
			 12 September 2003 London/Derby 54.45 Rail 
			 12 September 2003 Nottingham/London 54.45 Rail 
			 22 September 2003 London/Cardiff 111.00 Rail 
			 29 September 2003 London Birmingham 96.20 Rail 
			 9 October 2003 London/London 60.00 Rail 
			 15 October 2003 London/Brighton 42.20 Rail 
			 5 November 2003 London/Maidenhead 21.60 Rail 
			 5 November 2003 London/Maidstone 35.00 Rail 
			 13 November 2003 London/Manchester 134.50 Rail 
			 14 November 2003 London/Brighton 21.10 Rail 
			 20 November 2003 London/London-Heathrow Airport 42.00 Rail 
			 21 November 2003 London/Coventry 144.00 Rail 
			 28 November 2003 London/Liverpool 256.00 Rail 
			 5 December 2003 London/Cosham 36.10 Rail 
			 5 December 2003 Southampton/London 41.20 Rail 
			 5 December 2003 Newcastle/Durham 4.10 Rail 
			 13 January 2004 London/Hull 194.00 Rail 
			 22 January 2004 London/Manchester 280.00 Rail 
			 23 February 2004 London/Birmingham 167.00 Rail 
			 1 March 2004 London/Peterborough 80.00 Rail 
			 2 March 2004 London/Manchester 283.00 Rail 
			 4 March 2004 London/Birmingham 167.00 Rail 
			 5 March 2004 London/Leicester 45.90 Rail 
			 5 March 2004 London/Durham 92.50 Rail 
			 9 March 2004 London/Derby 56.70 Rail 
			 9 March 2004 Nottingham/London 56.70 Rail 
			 11 March 2004 London/Birmingham 167.00 Rail 
			 26 March 2004 London/New Malden 3.20 Rail 
			 27 March 2004 New Malden/Leicester 56.00 Rail 
			 30 March 2004 London/Basildon 8.20 Rail 
			 4 April 2003 Leeds-Bradford/London 131.00 Air 
			  Liverpool/London 294.00 Air 
			  London/Manchester 487.00 Air 
			  London/Newcastle 178.00 Air 
			  Total 4,967.60 — 
		
	
	This table shows details of all journeys abroad taken by Special Advisers, between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004.
	
		
			  Journey Cost (£) Rail/air 
		
		
			 21 October 2003 London/Washington 4,229.00 Air 
			 16 May 2003 London/Washington 510.00 Air 
			  Total 4,739.00

Teenage Sex

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what part the teaching of abstinence in regard to sexual activity plays in Government policy on sexual health; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government believe that all young people should receive a balanced programme of sex and relationships education (SRE) at school, which encourages them to delay sexual activity until they are ready and prepares them to make responsible choices about their relationships when they do become sexually active.
	In 2000, DfES issued non-statutory guidance to schools on the teaching of SRE. Schools are required to adhere to the principles set out in the guidance, although the exact content of each school's programme—and the resources used to support its delivery—are a matter for individual schools, following consultation with governors, parents and students.
	The guidance recommends that SRE is delivered within the framework for Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and should help young people to develop: positive attitudes and values: the personal and social skills needed to manage relationships; and a knowledge and understanding of issues related to their sexual health.

Variant CJD

John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Medical Research Council on research into effective treatments for variant CJD.

Melanie Johnson: The Department has been in frequent contact with the Medical Research Council since 2001 in relation to the establishment of a clinical trial of quinacrine as a potential treatment for all forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease(CJD). The trial is now under way. At the Department's request, the MRC is offering standardised clinical monitoring to those patients who choose to receive treatment with pentosan polysulphate.
	In September 2004, the Chief Medical Officer asked the MRC to take responsibility for the CJD therapy advisory group, which has a remit to review research on potential treatments, and advise on priorities for clinical trial.
	The Department has also asked the joint MRC/Department of Health research advisory group to review research on treatments during 2005.

Women's Bleeding Disorders

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) activities and (b) methods his Department is adopting to make (i) women and (ii) the medical profession aware of the possibility that the von Willebrand's form of haemophilia can be the cause of women's bleeding disorders.

Stephen Ladyman: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave on 18 January 2005, Official Report, columns 873–74W.

TRANSPORT

A5 (Dunstable)

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Dunstable A5 Queue Relocation Scheme, known as the Green Wave, cost.

David Jamieson: The cost of the Dunstable A5 Queue Relocation Scheme, including works, supervision, preparation and design, is £2.032 million.

A628

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the necessary statutory processes and value-for-money assessments to be completed in relation to the Glossop Spur of the A628 Mottram to Tintswistle Bypass.

Alistair Darling: The timetable for publishing draft Orders and taking forward the necessary statutory processes for this scheme is a matter for Tameside Metropolitan borough council, as local highway authority.
	Once these processes are complete, it will be for Tameside to submit a revised scheme appraisal for consideration by my Department.

Aviation Emissions Tax

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will urge his EU counterparts to agree to a tax on aviation emissions.

Charlotte Atkins: The Future of Air Transport" White Paper recognises the importance of ensuring that aviation meets its external costs, including its environmental costs. The UK has made it clear that tackling climate change will be a priority for our presidency of the EU in 2005. We believe that the best way of ensuring that aviation contributes towards the goal of climate stabilisation would be through a well-designed emissions trading regime. The European Commission has recently commissioned a study to look at options for aviation participating in the EU emission trading scheme. We intend to press for the inclusion of intra-EU air services in the EU scheme from 2008, or as soon as possible thereafter, and to make this a priority for our EU presidency. However, we will also continue to explore and discuss options for the use of other economic instruments.

Car-share Scheme

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps will be taken to prevent mannequins being used to deceive enforcers of the motorway car-share scheme when it is introduced.

David Jamieson: We are keen to ensure that the design of the proposed car-sharing lane on the Ml motorway between Luton and St. Albans encourages compliance and that the system is as self-enforcing as possible. However experience at other sites both in this country and abroad suggests that some police or other official presence will be required for part of the time and we anticipate using this method of enforcement.

Civil Servants

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of the enhanced early retirement scheme for civil servants in his Department and its agencies was in each year from 1997–98 to 2003–04 and what the estimated cost will be in each year from 2004–05 to 2007–08; and if he will make a statement.

Charlotte Atkins: The Department for Transport was created following a Machinery of Government change in May 2002 and figures for years prior to 2002–03 are not available.
	The Department has provided for future annual compensation payments to former employees who have taken early retirement. Compensation is payable from the date of retirement until age 60.
	The combined committed costs for early departures in the Department for Transport, including the Agencies, are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2002–03 2,291,064 
			 2003–04 2,511,104 
			 2004–05 (12)7,813,836 
			 2005–06 (12)2,363,800 
			 2006–07 (12)1,815,000 
			 2007–08 (12)1,371,000 
		
	
	(12)Estimate.
	In addressing its headcount pressures, the Department has approached HM Treasury for an additional £15 million to fund early departures in 2005–06.

Coastguard (Swanage)

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects negotiations for the construction of a new coastguard station at Swanage to be completed.

Alistair Darling: Negotiations about the development of a new facility are continuing between the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the local authority. It hopes to conclude those negotiations soon.

Coastguard (Swanage)

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the future of the Swanage coastguard operation.

Alistair Darling: The Auxiliary Coastguard Team in the Swanage area do excellent work for the local community. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency will continue to provide an Auxiliary Coastguard Service in the Swanage area and is exploring the possibility of upgrading the facilities used by the Team.

Consultants

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total expenditure by his Department on external consultants was in (a) 1996–97 and (b) 2003–04; and what the estimated cost of employing external consultants will be in (i) 2004–05, (ii) 2005–06, (iii) 2006–07 and (iv) 2007–08.

Charlotte Atkins: The Department was formed in May 2002. Detail of expenditure and estimated costs in future years for the central Department and agencies are shown in the following table.
	
		£ million
		
			  Expenditure Estimated costs 
			 Organisation 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 
		
		
			 Central Department 58.5 40.74 (13)— (13)— (13)— 
			 Highways Agency 273.9 277.1 278.0 278.0 278.0 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 2.9 5.1 3.2 2.0 (13)— 
			 Driving standards Agency 3.0 2.6 (13)— (13)— (13)— 
			 Marine and Coastguard Agency 0.7 0.5 0.6 (13)— (13)— 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency 3.0 2.0 (13)— (13)— (13)— 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
		
	
	(13)Current central Department or agency planning processes do not provide this level of detail.

Freedom of Information

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is in respect of the publication (a) on the departmental website and (b) by placing copies in the Library of (i) all or (ii) a selection of the information disclosed in response to freedom of information requests since January.

Tony McNulty: Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, all public authorities have a publication scheme that gives details of the classes of information that an authority makes available proactively and how they are accessible. Guidance on publication schemes, issued by the Department for Constitutional Affairs in July 2002, recommended that where information is disclosed to an individual in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act, Departments and non-departmental public bodies should consider whether the information disclosed is of general interest and include released information in the publication scheme where appropriate.
	The Department is following this policy and is publishing in the freedom of information part of its website the information disclosed in responses to requests that it considers of wider interest. Where the information disclosed in responses is not available in electronic form, the Department lists it on the website with details of how to view it. The Department puts the information it has disclosed in context but for privacy reasons does not identify the person who made the request to which it relates. This policy does not include placing copies of the information disclosed in responses in the Library.

Great Yarmouth Harbour

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the public funding approved for the outer harbour for Great Yarmouth will have to be referred to the European Commission for approval under provisions relating to state aid.

Alistair Darling: If Ministers agree to the East of England Development Agency's request to invest funding in the outer harbour, the project will then be submitted to the European Commission who decide whether or not the awarding of public subsidy complies with State Aid law.

Great Yarmouth Harbour

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the decision to approve public funding for the outer harbour for Great Yarmouth was based on (a) regeneration, (b) economic and (c) commercial grounds.

Alistair Darling: Public funding for the East Port project has yet to be approved. In my view, there is no strong transport case for public funding but the business case made for EastPort has shown the potential to deliver benefits sufficient to justify the public funding proposed. In such circumstances I have concluded that transport considerations should not stand in the way of a favourable decision on this important project. It now falls to the Department of Trade and Industry, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the local authorities concerned to decide whether public funding should be made available.

Hatfield Peverel-Witham Link Road

Alan Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the proposed Hatfield Peverel to Witham link road.

David Jamieson: The objectives of the improvement scheme are to provide safer access to and from the A12 by improving the junction arrangements at Hatfield Peverel and Witham, providing adequate space for traffic to merge and weave, and to reduce congestion by separating the existing local traffic between Hatfield Peverel and Witham from the A12.
	Further to the outcome of the public inquiry into proposals for a link road on the south side of the A12 held in 2003, the Highways Agency has reviewed all viable options. Several are now being looked at in more detail and assessment work should be completed by early summer.

Hauliers

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he has taken in relation to the illegal sale of international operators' licences for hauliers through the trade press.

David Jamieson: This matter is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA). I will arrange for VOSA's Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member once the investigation is concluded and for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.

Highways Agency

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of road the Highways Agency plans (a) to build and (b) to repair in each of the next three financial years; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Highways Agency plan to build 84 miles of road over the next three financial years (2005–06, 2006–07 and 2007–08). This includes 64 miles of widening and 20 miles of bypasses.
	With regard to repairs, the Highways Agency is currently optimising its road renewal programme for the next three years, following the spending review 2004 settlement. While a detailed programme of works is not known at this time the Highways Agency estimates that approximately 1,100 lane miles of trunk road will be repaired annually for each of the three years (as stated above), subject to the availability of funding.

Highways Agency

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how the contract between the Highways Agency and Highway Services (UK) Ltd. will allow for unforeseen additional works to be carried out; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: My Department does not have a contract with the company mentioned but the M40 DBFO contract is with UK Highways (M40) Ltd. All my Department's DBFO contracts make provision for additional works and other additional services. Where my Department through its highways agency proposes additional works to be carried out it notifies the DBFO Company of such an intention by means of an additional works notice:
	The additional works notice includes a description and/or specification of the additional works.
	The specification should include the time by which the proposed additional works are to be completed.
	The additional works notice should specify the additional works services (if any), which the Secretary of State requires the DBFO Co. to perform in respect of the additional works.
	The additional works notice should also specify the time by which any comments from the DBFO Company on the contents of the additional works notice must be received.

Highways Agency

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the contract between the Highways Agency and Highway Services (UK) Ltd. allows for changes to be made to the per vehicle charge.

David Jamieson: The Secretary of State does not have a contract with the company mentioned but the M40 DBFO contract is with UK Highways (M40) Ltd. The shadow tolls payments in the 30-year contract between the Secretary of State and UK Highways (M40) Ltd. are calculated annually and indexed to protect the contractors against inflation using the retail price index as the basic factor. Inevitably this index will have performed slightly differently to the estimates made in 1996, but we are confident that the variations are modest.
	A detailed reconciliation of the outturn figures against forecast is proposed for 2006 and it will revisit the value for money calculations made for the life of the contract.
	The actual payments are reviewed at the end of each financial year and the amount is recalculated using the traffic flow for the past 12 months. A recovery or additional payment is then made.

Highways Agency

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provision he has made to allow for the review of the contract between the Highways Agency and Highway Services (UK) Ltd.

David Jamieson: The Secretary of State does not have any contract with the company mentioned but the M40 DBFO contract is with UK Highways (M40) Ltd. Performance of the contract is reviewed on an ongoing basis but there are no provisions for formal contract review.

Highways Agency

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how environmental objectives and criteria were dealt with in the contract between the Highways Agency and Highway Services (UK) Ltd; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Secretary of State does not have any contract with the company mentioned but the M40 DBFO contract is with UK Highways (M40) Limited. The contract required the company to incorporate into the construction all of the environmental features included in the approved design. The attached extract from the Design, Build, Finance and Operate Contract between the Secretary of State for Transport and UK Highways (M40) Ltd. details further general and specific environmental terms.
	Core Operation and Maintenance Requirements
	In the design, planning and execution of all works and functions associated with the operation and maintenance of the Project Facilities, the DBFO Co. shall take all such action and do all such things (including, without limitation, organising itself, adopting measures and standards, executing procedures, including inspection procedures and safety patrols, and engaging and managing contractors, agents and employees) as will and in such manner as will secure risk of adverse effects on the environment and on the amenity enjoyed by the owners and occupiers of land adjacent to the Project Road and to adjoining roads and facilities is minimised.
	Scheme Specific Core Operation and Maintenance Requirements
	The DBFO Co. shall cultivate and maintain the landscaped areas of the Project Road so as to enhance the appearance and aesthetic quality of the Project Road and to mitigate its adverse environmental effects.
	The DBFO Co. shall operate and maintain the Site and the Operation and Maintenance Adjacent Areas so as to enhance nature conservation."

Highways Agency

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what priority the Highways Agency gives to environmental criteria in deciding whether to approve works on (a) motorways and (b) other trunk roads.

David Jamieson: Works undertaken by the Highways Agency on trunk roads and motorways are subject to appraisal against a range of criteria before they are approved to proceed. Within this appraisal, environmental criteria are given equal prominence alongside other criteria such as road safety and economic performance.

In-house Magazines

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on the production of in-house magazines in the Department and its predecessors in each year since 1997.

Charlotte Atkins: Total expenditure on staff magazines for the central Department and the executive agencies from 2002–03 onwards is given in the table. Figures for previous years would cover the work of the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions and the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The six executive agencies are the Highways Agency, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA).
	
		£
		
			  2002–03 2003–04 2004–05(14) 
		
		
			 DfT Central 64,000 80,000 72,000 
			 Highways Agency 127,000 119,000 72,000 
			 VOSA 8,506 10,628 10,222 
			 DSA 19,520 17,562 18,975 
			 MCA Nil Nil Nil 
			 DVLA 64,809 48,281 44,776 
			 VCA 2,100 2,500 6,500 
		
	
	(14)Estimated

M40

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what projections of (a) traffic volumes and (b) road noise were made in respect of the M40 through Stokenchurch and Lane End at the time of the road's widening in 1991; what the most recent figures are for each; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The M40 passes through the Chilterns between junctions 4 and 5. This stretch of motorway was widened in 1990–91. Traffic and noise projections will have been produced as part of the preparation for this widening scheme. The Highways Agency holds some historical records for past motorway and trunk road schemes and an extensive search of its archives have produced extracts which are available in the Libraries of the House.
	The noise related figures are taken from a report commissioned in 1988 and the traffic figures are taken from a report of the feasibility study in 1987. Both of these reports were commissioned prior to the widening scheme commencing.
	The most recent figures for traffic flows are 94,000 vpd (approx 47,000 in each direction. The Highways Agency does not have current noise levels adjacent to the motorway as these are not monitored.

Motor Toll Systems (England)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the motor toll systems in operation in England.

David Jamieson: Following is a list of statutory tolled undertakings in England:
	Aldwark Bridge
	Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry
	Clifton Suspension Bridge
	Dartmouth-Kingswear Floating Bridge
	Dunham Bridge
	Humber Bridge
	Itchen Bridge
	Lynmouth and Lynton Lift
	M6 Toll Road
	Mersey Tunnels
	Rixton and Warburton Bridge
	Severn River Crossing
	Shrewsbury (Kingsland) Bridge
	Swinford Bridge
	Tamar Bridge
	Tyne Tunnel
	Whitchurch Bridge
	Whitney on Wye Bridge
	The list does not include the Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing and the Sadler Street, Durham charging schemes. Both of these are road user charging schemes enabled under the provisions of the Transport Act 2000.
	There are also a number of small private unregulated tolled undertakings; two of which are allowed to toll by Royal Charter, the others are on private land. There is no central record of all these private undertakings.

Private Car Parks

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what restrictions are applicable to private companies operating within private car parks that issue fines for alleged offences; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will issue guidelines to private companies which impose fines for alleged offences in a private car park that penalty notices should be placed on the vehicle at the alleged time of the offence; and if he will make a statement.

Charlotte Atkins: Privately owned car parks are private property and charges and conditions for their use are a contractual matter between the owner and users. This is not a matter that is the subject of public legislation concerning fines and it would be for the owner to pursue any unpaid charges as a civil rather than criminal matter. The Secretary of State has no powers to issue guidelines on the management of private car parks. When using a private car park a motorist is effectively agreeing to abide by the terms and conditions of its use, which should be displayed clearly.

Private Car Parks

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport under what circumstances the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is allowed to issue details of car ownership to private companies who operate within private car parks and issue fines for alleged offences; and what assessment his Department has made of whether the issuing of such information is compliant with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998.

David Jamieson: Regulations provide for the release of vehicle keeper details from the register maintained by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to applicants who can demonstrate reasonable cause" for their request. The enforcement of parking restrictions on private property meets the reasonable cause" criterion. If information was not released in these circumstances landlords would have great difficulty in enforcing their rights to their property. The Information Commissioner is aware that personal data is used in this way and he has issued advice, which is available on his website.

Railways

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much the Government expects to spend in overall improvements including safety improvements, to the Rail Network over the next five years;
	(2)  how much money the Government have invested in the Rail Network since May 1997.

Tony McNulty: Historic and forecast public spending on all modes of transport is set out in table A3 of Transport 2010 The 10 Year Plan" published in July 2000 as supplemented by table Al.l of Delivering Better Transport: Progress Report" published in December 2002.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has today made a statement setting out the funding levels for rail for the remainder of Network Rail's current regulatory control period.

Railways

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the opening of Buckshaw Village railway station.

Tony McNulty: The Strategic Rail Authority is currently awaiting further work by Lancashire county council to assess the viability of the council's proposal to open a station at Buckshaw Village.

Road Maintenance

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on local authorities' obligations to keep pavements and highways in a good state of repair.

Charlotte Atkins: The Highways Act 1980 places a duty on highway authorities to maintain footways and highways in a safe condition, taking into account the nature of these roads and the traffic that could reasonably be expected to use them.
	The Department for Transport strongly recommends that local authorities maintain their highways in accordance with the Code of Practice for Maintenance Management Delivering Best Value in Highway Maintenance", published in 2001.

Speed Cameras (Accidents)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of road traffic accidents occurred on or near to the calibration lines of speed cameras in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

David Jamieson: The specific information requested is not available. But The National safety camera programme—Three year evaluation report", carried out by University College London and PA Consulting Group, found that there had been a 40 per cent. reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured at camera sites, and a 33 per cent. reduction in the total number of personal injury collisions at camera sites. The report was published in June 2004. Copies are available in the Library and from the Department's website.

Staff Training

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the costs of departmental (a) staff training days and (b) staff development days held away from the Department were in each year since 1997.

Charlotte Atkins: The information requested is not collected centrally in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Traffic

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has commissioned into headway control as a means of controlling traffic density and congestion.

David Jamieson: Several research projects into headway control as a means of controlling traffic density, in addition to reducing congestion and improving safety have been undertaken in the past five years.
	Research was undertaken by TRL (Transport Research Laboratory) into the Highways Agency's M25 Controlled Motorway Scheme between 1995 and 2002.
	The Highways Agency's TRISHA (Traffic Responsive Speed and Headway Adaptation) project in 2000 assessed the impacts arising from intelligent speed and headway control within vehicles.
	The Highways Agency contributed to the EC research project ADVISORS, which assessed the traffic, safety and environmental implications of different in-vehicle driver assistance systems.
	In 2001 the Highways Agency commissioned consultants to undertake an assessment of driver attitudes to in-vehicle driver assistance systems, including headway control.
	Details of the Highways Agency's research are available in published reports or from the Agency's website (www.highways.gov.uk).

Travel Costs

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total travel costs to his Department have been for (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials for each year since 1997.

Charlotte Atkins: holding answer 9 December 2004
	The Department for Transport was formed in May 2002. The total travel and subsistence costs for officials in the Department for Transport in 2002–03 were £1,606,589, and in 2003–04 were £1,919,678. Information for earlier years is not readily available. Travel costs for Ministers' and special advisers are not held centrally within the Department.
	All travel is undertaken in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter dated 15 November from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Samiul Alam.

Chris Mullin: I refer my right hon. Friend to the replies I gave him on 19 January 2005, Official Report, column 1018W, 27 January 2005, Official Report, column 523W and 7 February 2005, Official Report, column 1310W.

Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will send a substantive reply to the letter dated 8 December 2004, ref. GV100/90815/H post ref. 74117 from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood.

Chris Mullin: UKvisas, the department responsible for entry clearance matters arising overseas, replied to my right hon. Friend on 3 February.

Departmental Costs

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the costs of departmental (a) staff training days and (b) staff development days held away from the Department were in each year since 1997.

Douglas Alexander: There are 20 main training providers in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). They centrally arrange more than 200 different courses for staff at both internal and external venues. The FCO also encourages its directorates and diplomatic posts to take responsibility for further enhancing specialist job and/or personal development skills. These activities are paid from local funds, for which no centrally held records are kept.
	
		
			  Costs of training (£) 
		
		
			 1997–98 6,261,972 
			 1998–99 7,233,036 
			 1999–2000 6,671,147 
			 2000–01 9,874,047 
			 2001–02 11,331,631 
			 2002–03 9,772,578 
			 2003–04 13,118,950 
		
	
	Centrally held records on the costs of staff training and development days held away from the Department cover activities run by the central FCO training department, based in London. Readily accessible records are only available from April 2000.
	
		£
		
			  Training courses(15) Development(15) 
		
		
			 2000–01 1,160,258 177,277 
			 2001–02 1,250,186 326,820 
			 2002–03 1,431,207 475,233 
			 2003–04 1,247,524 142,264 
		
	
	(15)Centrally run
	The FCO training provision is recorded on a variety of management information systems. Further figures could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the EEC-Slovenia Co-operation Committee met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: We can find no information on an EEC-Slovenia Cooperation Committee. Slovenia formally joined the EU prior to the Dutch presidency and had been accepted as an EU member prior to the Italian and Irish presidency.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the Joint Committee (EEC-Turkey) met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: We believe the question refers to the EU-Turkey Association Committee, which meets once a year. During the period of the Italian, Irish and Dutch presidencies (June 2003-December 2004) it met in March 2004, in Brussels. An official from the Department for Trade and Industry attended.

European Public Bodies

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the activity of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions in the UK in the last 12 months; and if he will list its publications and newsletters published over that period.

Chris Pond: I have been asked to reply.
	The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working conditions was established in 1975 by the EU Council of Ministers to provide research-based information on the improvement of living and working conditions. This includes comparative cross-European research on employment and unemployment, equal opportunities, social inclusion, health in the workplace and employment relations. As well as commissioning research through open tender the foundation is active in disseminating research-based information through publications, conferences and seminars throughout the member states. The foundation is active across all of these areas in all member states of the EU including the UK.
	A full listing of its activities across the EU, its publications and newsletters, are set out on their website (www.eurofound.ie) and all are downloadable in full text as well as summary form.

European Public Bodies

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the activity of the European Training Foundation in the UK in the last 12 months; and if he will list their publications and newsletters published over that period.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	The European Training Foundation (ETF) is an EU agency set up to assist EU neighbour countries, including EU candidate countries, with the development of their vocational education and training (VET) systems to improve employability and mobility within their economies.
	The ETF has published several reports describing progress made within VET systems in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the former candidate countries during 2004. These publications, including ETF newsletters which are published on a bi-monthly basis, can be accessed via the ETF website: www.etf.eu.int

Freedom of Information

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is in respect of the publication (a) on the departmental website and (b) by placing copies in the Library of (i) all or (ii) a selection of the information disclosed in response to Freedom of Information requests since January.

Jack Straw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is mounting on its website a selection of the information released in response to access requests under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act since January 2005. A dedicated FOI website for the FCO will be going live later this month. Meanwhile, the information can be found on the FOI pages of the main FCO website (www.fco.gov.uk). This week, for example, information is being displayed concerning the International Criminal Court and meetings of the European Council in 1979 and 1984.
	It would not be appropriate to place on the website or in the Library of the House copies of all the information released, some of which has relevance and significance only to the individual who requested it. Where the information concerned is of broader and more general interest and importance, it will be placed on the FCO website. Copies of significant documents may also be placed in the Library of the House.
	Guidance on Publication Schemes, issued by the Department for Constitutional Affairs in July 2002, recommended that where information is disclosed to an individual in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act, Departments and non-departmental public bodies should consider whether the information disclosed is of general interest and include released information in the Publication Scheme where appropriate.

Intelligence Gathering

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2005, Official Report, column 940W, on torture-obtained information, on how many occasions in the last three years concerns have been expressed to him regarding the means by which the intelligence it received had been obtained.

Jack Straw: There have been a number of parliamentary questions and some correspondence from hon. Members and members of the public on this issue. We hold no exact figures on such correspondence.
	The UK strongly opposes torture as a matter of fundamental principle. The British intelligence and security services operate strictly in accordance with statutory provisions and requirements laid down by Parliament. Those requirements take full account of obligations under international law.

Iran/Syria

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of reports of support for terrorist groups by the governments of (a) Iran and (b) Syria; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: We have serious concerns about the approach of both the Iranian and the Syrian governments to terrorism. We have pressed both countries to co-operate fully with international efforts to combat terrorism and not to support groups trying to undermine peace in the Middle East by violent means.
	I raised these concerns with the Syrian Foreign Minister in October 2004, and with the Secretary General of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Hassan Rouhani, in December 2004; and Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and Officials continue to do so.

Ministerial Stationery

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent on official ministerial (a) business cards, (b) headed paper and (c) compliment slips in each year since 1997.

Bill Rammell: The cost of business cards, headed paper and compliment slips comes out of the general stationery budget and we do not have a breakdown for these individual items.

Northern Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what commitments he has given to decoupling the proposed EU aid and direct trade regulations for northern Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made no commitment to decouple the proposed EU aid and direct trade regulations. The European Commission presented these regulations as a comprehensive package designed to put an end to the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community and to facilitate the reunification of Cyprus. These measures would facilitate trade from the northern part of the island and strengthen its economic integration through financial assistance of €259 million. The UK supports efforts to obtain agreement on this package as soon as possible.

Northern Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what opposition within the EU there is to the proposed regulation (a) for aid to and (b) on direct trade with northern Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: Meetings within the EU are confidential in nature. It is therefore not possible to comment here on the position of individual member states regarding this issue. However, we very much regret that it was not possible for the EU Financial Aid and Direct Trade regulations for north Cyprus to be put forward for agreement at the November General Affairs and External Relations Council. The Government will support any efforts to obtain agreement on the package as soon as possible.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  on how many occasions between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 departmental special advisers travelled (a) domestically and (b) abroad in an official capacity; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost;
	(2)  when he will reply to the question tabled by the hon. Member for Chichester on 1 December 2004, ref 202258.

Jack Straw: I would like to apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in replying.
	Between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 special advisers in my Department travelled to the following places. The cost of each visit is included. All travel by special advisers is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.
	
		Michael Williams
		
			 Dates Places visited Travel Accommodation Subsistence Total (£) 
		
		
			 10 April 2003 Brussels £405.00 Nil £35.16 440.16 
			   
			 13–15 April 2003 Bahrain  £109.25 44.90  
			  Kuwait RAF Nil Nil  277.02 
			  Qatar  £70.48 £52.39  
			  Saudi Arabia  Nil Nil  
			   
			 4–6 May 2003 Athens £1,091 £214 £149.11 1,454.11 
			   
			 29 June to 2 July 2003 Iran  Nil Nil  
			  Afghanistan RAF/Charter Nil Nil  52.38 
			  Kuwait  Nil £52.38  
			  Iraq  Nil Nil  
			   
			 28–29 August 2003 Geneva £427.80 Nil £76.31 504.11 
			   
			 22–25 September 2003 New York £3,793.40 £937.40 £157.94 4,888.74 
			   
			 9–12 November 2003 China £2,428.82 £325.41 £260.42 3,014.65 
			   
			 27 November Ditchley Park, Oxford £48 Nil Nil 48 
			   
			 20–21 January 2004 Davos RAF £126.57 £3.35 129.92 
			   
			 2–5 March 2004 Istanbul Charter £113.00 £27.35  140.35 
			  Pakistan  Nil Nil  
			   
			 15–17 March 2004 Saudi Arabia  Nil £33.00  
			  UAE Charter £84.74 £39.71  157.45 
			  Oman  Nil Nil  
		
	
	
		Ed Owen
		
			 Dates Places visited Travel Accommodation Subsistence Total (£) 
		
		
			 8–9 April 2003 Paris Charter Nil £17.52  17.52 
			  Madrid  Nil Nil  
			   
			 13–14 May 2003 South Africa £3,148.60 £78 £42.77 3,269.37 
			   
			 19 May 2003 Brussels RAF Nil £17.84 17.84 
			   
			 19–21 June 2003 Greece RAF Nil £85.11 85.11 
			   
			 29 August 2003 Italy RAF Nil Nil Nil 
			   
			 16 December 2003 Dublin RAF Nil Nil Nil 
			   
			 16 January 2004 Cheltenham, Gloucestershire£84 Nil Nil 84.00 
			   
			 22–23 March 2004 Brussels RAF Nil £17.86  160.13 
			  Copenhagen  £88.84 £53.43

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions between 31 March 2002 and 31 March 2003 his special advisers travelled abroad in an official capacity; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost.

Jack Straw: Between 31 March 2002 and 31 March 2003, special advisers in my Department travelled to the following places. The cost of each visit is included. All travel by special advisers is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.
	
		Michael Williams
		
			 Dates Places visited Travel Accommodation Subsistence Total (£) 
		
		
			 18 April 2002 Geneva RAF Nil £22.88 22.88 
			   
			 27–29 May 2002 Berlin  £66.30 Nil  
			  Pakistan Charter £70.00 £22.01  173.18 
			  India   £14.87  
			   
			 13–21 July China  £329.43 £113.13  
			  Japan £2,464.40 £141.14 £95.02  3,163.48 
			  Hong Kong  Nil Nil  
			  India  Nil £20.36  
			   
			 10–16 September 2002 New York £2,448.30 £1,414.17 £335.91 4,198.38 
			   
			 7–10 October 2002 Paris  Nil Nil  
			  Cairo1/2  Nil £4.68 1/2 
			  Amman Charter Nil Nil  £59.81 
			  Kuwait1/2  Nil £55.13 1/2 
			  Tehran  Nil Nil  
			   
			 5–6 November 2002 Belgrade  £95.41 £29.04  
			  Pristina RAF Nil Nil  124.45 
			  Sarajevo  Nil Nil  
			   
			 7–11 January 2003 Singapore  £82.95 £48.15  
			  Indonesia £4,844.70 Nil £46.18  5,021.98 
			  Malaysia  Nil Nil  
			   
			 15 March 2003 Belgrade RAF Nil Nil Nil 
		
	
	
		Ed Owen
		
			 Dates Places visited Travel Accommodation Subsistence Total (£) 
		
		
			 22–23 April 2002 Valencia RAF £98.55 £45.51 144.06 
			   
			 3 May 2002 Gibraltar RAF Nil Nil Nil 
			   
			 7–8 May 2002 Washington £2,771.70 £147.42 £53.15 £2,972.27 
			   
			 27 May 2002 Berlin Charter out Nil Nil  £348.60 
			   Return £348.60 Nil Nil  
			 29–30 August 2002 Helsingborg, Sweden RAF out £97.49 £45.00 513.93 
			   Return £371.44
			   
			 14–15 October 2002 Washington and Chicago £3,584.00 Nil £74.37 3,658.37 
			   
			 2–4 December 2002 Bonn  Nil Nil  
			  Berlin RAF Nil £11.38  15.38 
			  Ankara  Nil £4.00  
			  Slovenia  Nil Nil  
			   
			 22–23 January 2003 Washington £2,594.30 £110.24 £48.54 2,753.08

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the UN's decision not to find that the situation in Darfur is one of genocide;
	(2)  what progress is being made to implement Resolution 1564 on the investigation of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights in Darfur; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: Resolution 1564 requested the establishment of an International Commission of Inquiry (ICI) to investigate reports of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law in Darfur. The report was presented to the Security Council on 31 January. It concludes that the Government of Sudan, the Arab militias and the rebels are all guilty of serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law, which may amount to crimes against humanity and/or war crimes. The ICI has given the UNSG a list of suspects it believes may have perpetrated these crimes, and recommends that he pass this list to a competent prosecutor.
	We called for the establishment of the ICI and welcome their report. We, and our fellow member states in the UN Security Council are united in our determination that there can be no impunity for these crimes and will be discussing the next steps over the coming days.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will intercede in the case of the threat to members of the Sudan Liberation Army in Nyala which could result in the use of the death penalty.

Chris Mullin: We call on both the Government of Sudan and the rebels to abide by their commitments under the Abuja protocols, which include provision for the release of all persons detained in relation to the hostilities in Darfur, excluding those detained through due process of law.
	Our embassy in Khartoum regularly raises abolition of the death penalty with the Government of Sudan. We also held detailed discussions on this subject during the joint Sudan/EU dialogue meetings in September 2004. We will continue to follow these cases closely.

Sudan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what verification his Department has (a) sought and (b) received concerning the reports of the offensive use of helicopter gunships by the Sudanese Government mentioned in paragraph 5 of the recent report of the UN Secretary-General on Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: We are concerned about the use of helicopter gunships in Darfur and continue to liaise closely with the African Union who are investigating the incidents. The latest report by the UN Secretary General, dated 4 February, notes that
	helicopters and other aircraft previously used for bombing have continued to be utilised in support of operations up to the present month."
	We have made clear that all sides must stop the fighting and abide by the commitments they have already made, particularly the Abuja Humanitarian and Security Protocols which commit the Government of Sudan to cease all hostile overflights.

Sudan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the (a) size and (b) nature of the Sudanese army deployment in December 2004 in El Fasher and Nyala; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: The Government of Sudan mobilised troops around El Fasher and Nyala in December 2004, citing the need to prevent roads being blocked by the rebels. There are no definitive figures about the size of the Sudanese army deployment. The African Union reported renewed fighting between Government troops and rebel forces during this period.
	We raised this matter with the Government of Sudan both bilaterally and during the Joint Implementation Mechanism (JIM) meeting on 20 December. The UK, and our partners in the JIM, called for an immediate cessation of all hostilities. At the JIM meeting the Government of Sudan agreed to cease this campaign in the region.

Sudan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of claims of Sudanese air force activity around Thabit near El Fasher on 8 December 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: The African Union, UN, and non-governmental organisations reported claims of Sudanese air force activity around Thabit in Darfur around 8 December. The UN subsequently reported that the fighting around Thabit on 7 and 8 December resulted in four civilian fatalities and 20 injuries.
	The Government of Sudan signed the Abuja Security Protocol on 9 November, committing themselves to refraining from all hostile military overflights over Darfur. We will continue to make clear to both the Government of Sudan and the rebels that they must abide fully by the N'Djamena ceasefire agreement and the Abuja Humanitarian and Security Protocols.

Zimbabwe

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the conclusions and recommendations contained in the report on the justice system in Zimbabwe published by the Bar Council of England and Wales.

Chris Mullin: I agree with the report's assessment that the legal system in Zimbabwe is subject to cronyism, political interference and intimidation. We and our EU partners regularly raise our concerns with the Zimbabwean Government and its neighbours about the abuse of justice in Zimbabwe.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Aircraft Charters

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money her Department has spent on chartering aircraft in each of the past five years.

Richard Caborn: All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules contained in the Department's staff handbook and all ministerial travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code" and Travel by Ministers", copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
	Travel by Ministers" makes clear that special flights may be authorised when a scheduled service is not available, or when it is essential to travel by air, but the requirements of official or parliamentary business or security considerations or urgency preclude the journey being made by a scheduled service. In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The list published in 1999 covers the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1999. Where RAF/Private Charter aircraft are used this is shown in the list. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2004–05 will be published in due course.
	In respect of domestic ministerial travel, the Department has not incurred any expenditure on chartering aircrafts in the last five years

Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the Government plan to amend the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 by statutory instrument to enable betting shops to open in the evenings between September and March.

Estelle Morris: We have no present plans to amend the 1963 Act as the hon. Member suggests.
	However, should the Gambling Bill achieve royal assent we do envisage using the powers in clause 166 to set default conditions for betting premises licences which will include longer opening hours in the winter months than is currently allowed.

Burnley

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Burnley constituency, the effects on Burnley of her Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997.

Richard Caborn: The Department's aim is to improve the quality of life for everyone through cultural and sporting activities, to support the pursuit of excellence and to champion the tourism, creative and leisure industries. The Department's policies and actions have had a significant impact on Burnley since 2 May 1997.
	In order to achieve our challenging targets for increased participation in sport and physical activity, we have invested in thousands of new and refurbished public sports facilities. From the £108 million investment in innovative sports facilities through the Active England programme, Burnley has benefited from an award of £1 million towards the cost of building a new joint health and leisure centre on the former St. Peter's car park site in Burnley town centre. Eight other sports facilities in Burnley have also benefited from Sport England Community Capital awards totalling over £2 million and Burnley football club has received a Football Youth Development award of £289,000 from Sport England. In 2002 we launched the first ever comprehensive national physical education, school sport and club links strategy with an investment of £459 million, benefiting schools throughout the country.
	We have increased our national funding to the arts in real terms by 60 per cent. from £199 million in 1998–99 to £367 million in 2004–05. Between 1998–99 and 2003–04 Arts Council England, North West grants increased from £7.6 million to £19.6 million. In 2005–06 the total Arts Council England investment in the north-west will be £28.4 million. Burnley has benefited from grants to arts projects, organisations and individuals, including funding for Mid-Pennine Arts, the arts development agency for East Lancashire, which is based in Burnley, and the Burnley Youth Theatre, which develops young people's access to the theatre.
	From September 2005, schools in Burnley will be included in the third phase of the Creative Partnerships programme, which began in 2002. Creative Partnerships aims to give school children and their teachers the opportunity to explore their creativity by working on sustained projects with creative organisations and individuals, including artists, theatre companies, dance studios, museums, orchestras, film-makers and historic buildings. Funding of £65 million was allocated for the period 2002–05 to develop Creative Partnerships, and the programme will receive at least a further £86 million in 2005–08.
	Young people in Burnley also benefit from the Lancashire Youth Music Action Zone, which was launched in 2001 and has so far been awarded two grants totalling £280,000. In April 2005 it will be awarded a further grant of £110,000 from Youth Music. 6,000 young people have taken part in local music projects and events run by Lancashire Youth Music Action Zone.
	Culture Online was launched in 2002 to increase access to, and participation in, arts and culture. Many of its projects are aimed at children of school age and at audiences that might not otherwise participate in arts and culture, including those who do not easily have access to arts and culture, people from deprived communities and people with particular educational or physical needs. People in Burnley will be among those who benefit from Culture Online. Between 2002 and 2004, £13 million was allocated to fund 20 Culture Online projects.
	Through our commitment to public service broadcasting we have helped to foster an environment in which a creative, commercially successful broadcasting industry provides a wide range of UK-made, high quality original programmes catering for all viewers and listeners. We have ensured a secure funding base for the BBC and Channel 4, while giving them the freedom to develop commercial operations which complement and support their public service remit. The Communications Act 2003 includes provisions to ensure that public service broadcasting will continue to have a key role to play in the digital future.
	Our support for, and promotion of, the film and broadcasting industries have contributed to the general success of film-making and television activity in the Burnley area. BBC Drama's adaptation of North and South was filmed at Queens Street Mill, Burnley, and a forthcoming drama about Casanova was filmed partly on location at Towneley Hall, Burnley. A new feature film is currently filming in Burnley.
	In November 2000 we introduced free television licences for people aged 75 or over. Information on the number of beneficiaries by constituency is not available. However, according to Department for Work and Pensions records, the number of households in Burnley with at least one person aged 75 or over claiming the winter fuel payment in 2003–04 was 5,000.
	We have changed the licensing laws to allow people to hold and attend commercial dances on Sunday, to make it easier for restaurants to open an hour later, and to relax the alcohol licensing hours from 11 pm on New Year's Eve to 11 am on New Year's Day in all future years; and we have given the police greater powers to take action against under-age drinking and disorderly and noisy licensed premises. The Licensing Act 2003, when fully implemented, will introduce a streamlined, consistent and fair licensing regime for the provision of alcohol, public entertainment and late night refreshment. It will provide greater choice for consumers, bring regeneration and increased employment opportunities and protect local residents whose lives have been blighted by disturbance and antisocial behaviour.
	The Gambling Bill will, when implemented, transfer responsibility for licensing gambling premises to local authorities. Local people and businesses will be able to make representations about applications for licenses and local authorities will be able to decide not to issue licenses for casino premises. These changes will give local communities, including those in Burnley, a greater say in the regulation of gambling in their area.
	Tourism in Burnley has benefited from Government-funded marketing activity. In April 2003 we established VisitBritain with a new domestic marketing remit for England, and we gave strategic responsibility for tourism development to the Regional Development Agencies, including the North West Development Agency. These changes, together with VisitBritain's successful marketing activities in promoting Britain abroad as an attractive tourist destination, benefit all parts of the country, including Burnley.
	English Heritage has awarded grants worth over £1.3 million to Burnley since 2 May 1997, including six grants totalling over £1 million for the Burnley and Padiham Conservation Area Partnership Scheme.
	Burnley Library has 49 PCs connected to the internet through the People's Network which was funded through a £120 million Lottery grant and which has put all the United Kingdom's public libraries on-line. In addition, the Department is funding the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council with £5 million over three years to implement the Framework for the Future Action Plan and Library Improvement Programme, which is designed to encourage improvement across the public libraries sector in England.
	The Department has been an energetic advocate of the community value of public libraries. Lancashire county council has recognised this value, for example by siting at Burnley Library the County's first of 15 SMILE centres for children and young people with learning difficulties, following a DCMS/Wolfson Foundation Reader Development Grant of £178,000 in 2001–02.
	Information from the National Lottery distributors indicates that since 2 May 1997 Burnley has benefited from over 190 awards totalling over £8.7 million. Of these, 28 awards worth over £2.9 million were made by the New Opportunities Fund which was established by the Government in 1999. The New Opportunities Fund merged with the Community Fund in June 2004 to form the Big Lottery Fund.

Cleaning Costs

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the costs of cleaning the Department were in each year since 1997.

Richard Caborn: The DCMS has four office premises; and the contract for cleaning is an outsourced contract. Costs since 1997–8 are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1997–1998 96,563 
			 1998–99 99,375 
			 1999–2000 113,030 
			 2000–2001 189,192 
			 2001–02 216,343 
			 2002–003 211,691 
			 2003–2004 221,187 
		
	
	(16) Change of premises during this period
	As the scope of DCMS responsibilities has broadened and staff were recruited or transferred under machinery of government changes, more office space has been required. This has increased cleaning costs. Annual increases in cleaning contracts have been the norm and the above figures reflect cost per square metre cleaning costs in central London.

Correspondence

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the statement by the Minister of State for Sport on 24 January 2005, Official Report, column 109, undertaking to write to the hon. Member for Bath about the storage of electronic information as proof of entry for ticketless lotteries, when he will write.

Richard Caborn: I wrote to the hon. Member on 8 February, and have arranged for a copy of the letter to be placed in Libraries of both Houses.

Design

Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport who the ministerial design champion for her Department is.

Richard Caborn: The Ministerial Design Champion for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is the right hon. Lord McIntosh of Haringey, Minister for Media and Heritage.

Digital Switchover

Syd Rapson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to ensure that there is adequate information for the public in advance of digital switchover on purchasing television receivers which will be operable after digital switchover.

Estelle Morris: The responsibility for ensuring that everyone gets all the information they need about the digital switchover process, including information on what equipment will work after switchover, will primarily be one for Switchco, broadcasters and the supply chain. The Government will continue to take responsibility for communicating its switchover policy.

Free Television Licences

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many households in Hartlepool are in receipt of free television licences.

Estelle Morris: TV Licensing, who administer free television licences for people aged 75 or over as agents for the BBC, are not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, the number of households with at least one person aged 75 or over claiming the winter fuel payment in the Hartlepool constituency in 2003–04 was 4,900, according to Department for Work and Pensions records.

Government Art Collection

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the items of art purchased by the Government Art Collection since 1997; and what the cost of each item was.

Estelle Morris: The works of art purchased by the Government Art Collection (GAC) since 2 May 1997 are listed in a separate document. I am arranging for copies of the document to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	The information about prices paid is commercially sensitive. It is not the GAC's practice to publish the prices paid for individual works of art purchased directly from the artist, individual or from a dealer as information of this nature might prejudice the commercial interests both of the GAC in its purchasing activities generally and of the relevant artist, individual or dealer. This practice is consistent with the practice of the national collections.
	However, the prices paid for works of art acquired at auction are published by the auction houses, and in these cases are listed in the document referred to above.
	The Government Art Collection is part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport; its acquisition policy is guided by the Advisory Committee on the Government Art Collection which is a non-departmental public body. Members are both independent and ex-officio, including the directors of the National Galleries.

Licensing Hours

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her latest estimate is of how many applications for extending licensing hours will be made in each police authority area in England and Wales.

Richard Caborn: We estimate that up to 65 per cent. of applications to convert existing licences would also simultaneously apply to make variations, which would include extending licensing hours. Estimates are for England and Wales as a whole and are not made for each police authority area. A recent British Beer and Pub Association survey indicated that none of the 30,500 public houses and bars in England and Wales owned by its members expected to apply to open for 24 hours. The survey indicated the majority of pubs will stay open for no longer than at present during the week, and most will only look for an extra hour or two at the weekend.

Mobile Phones

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost of staff mobile phone bills was in each year since 1997.

Richard Caborn: The cost to my Department of mobile phones supplied to Ministers and officials was £25,000 in 2000–01, £21,000 in 2001–02, £29,000 in 2002–03 and £36,000 in 2003–04. It is not possible to provide figures prior to 2000 save at disproportionate cost.

Museums

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many foreign nationals have visited museums in England in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Estelle Morris: Figures for the number of foreign nationals who visit all museums in England each year are not available. The number of visits from overseas residents to museums and galleries sponsored by DCMS, which include the national museums and galleries in England, is set out in the following table. They represented just under a third of all visits to DCMS-sponsored museums in 2003–04.
	
		Overseas visitors to DCMS—sponsored museums and galleries
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1997–98 n/a 
			 1998–99 10,429,096 
			 1999–2000 10,508,406 
			 2000–01 9,968,020 
			 2001–02 10,113,088 
			 2002–03 10,679,000 
			 2003–04 11,709,431

Museums and Galleries

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department has taken to measure the (a) socio-economic background, (b) area of origin, (c) ethnicity, (d) disability and (e) gender of visitors to (i) museums and galleries sponsored by her Department and (ii) other museums and galleries; and if she will make a statement.

Estelle Morris: In 1999, DCMS published in a review of efficiency and effectiveness of national museums and galleries a set of potential performance indicators. Working with the National Museums Directors Conference, these performance indicators have been refined to a set of key indicators. The measures include the number of visits by C2DEs to a sponsored museum, the ethnicity of the visitors, and whether visitors are from the UK or overseas. They do not include either the gender of visitors or whether they are disabled, but do separately identify, educational visits, children under 16 and people over 60.
	The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, which is sponsored by DCMS, has put in place similar measures to monitor visits to the regional hub museums. Participation by teachers and by individual adult and community groups is also measured, as are educational visits.

Museums and Galleries

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total cost to public funds of free admission to museums and galleries sponsored by her Department was in each year from 1999–2000 to 2003–04; what the estimated cost will be in (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06; and if she will make a statement.

Estelle Morris: The additional grant in aid paid in compensation to DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries which formerly charged for admission or which opened free in the period 1999–2000 to 2003–04, is shown in the following table. From 2004–05 onwards, a separate amount is not paid, but funding for free admission is taken into account in the allocation of all funds to all DCMS-sponsored museums.
	
		Level of compensation given to those museums which formally charged for admission, or which opened free in the period 1999–2000 to 2003–04
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1999–2000 4.2 
			 2000–01 13 
			 2001–02 20 
			 2002–03 34 
			 2003–04 35

Museums and Galleries

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many visitors to national museums and galleries sponsored by her Department were (a) from the United Kingdom and (b) visiting the United Kingdom from overseas in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Estelle Morris: The number of visits from (a) UK residents and (b) overseas residents to museums and galleries sponsored by DCMS, which include the national museums and galleries in England, is set out in the table.
	
		
			  Visits by UK residents Visits by overseas residents 
		
		
			 1997–98 (17)n/a (17)n/a 
			 1998–99 13,530,904 10,429,096 
			 1999–2000 13,871,594 10,508,406 
			 2000–01 19,013,790 9,968,020 
			 2001–02 20,101,669 10,113,088 
			 2002–03 22,889,420 10,679,000 
			 2003–04 23,456,040 11,709,431 
		
	
	(17) Total visits were 23,500,000

Museums and Galleries

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of the change in revenue from (a) ticket sales for special exhibitions, (b) catering facilities, (c) merchandise and (d) other sources of museums and galleries sponsored by her Department as a result of offering free admission from the end of 2001; and if she will make a statement.

Estelle Morris: A study of income generated by the DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries was published by the National Audit Office in January 2004. This showed that in the 2002–03, the year following the introduction of free admission, DCMS sponsored museums' income from trading increased by £0.7 million from £20.8 million to £21.5 million. Income from admissions fell from £24 million to £17.7 million. The net reduction in income from these two sources was £5.6 million. A total of £68.3 million was raised from other sources in 2002–03, taking the total self generated income to around £108 million.

PE Teaching

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Department of Education and Skills regarding the quality of physical education teaching in schools.

Richard Caborn: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Education and Skills share an ambitious PSA target connected to the national PE, School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL) strategy. The two Departments are working closely on this joint project, on an on-going basis.
	As part of the project, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has been working with schools to help improve the quality of PE and school sport. This includes taking into account of how young people learn best, and how to improve their progress and attainment. A guide entitled Do You Have High Quality PE and Sport in Your School?" has recently been produced by the QCA. This is designed to help schools to self-evaluate the quality of their PE and sport, and help them improve the quality of their provision and make it more effective.
	Another strand of the PESSCL project covers professional development and £18 million has been committed over 2003–06 to deliver this programme. Schools can draw, free of charge, from a menu of resources to help teachers provide high quality PE and school sport. Schools in 116 LEAs are already accessing the programme.

Postage

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent on postage by the Department in each year since 1997.

Richard Caborn: The annual cost of postage is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1997–98 69,527 
			 1998–99 70,018 
			 1999–2000 66,685 
			 2000–01 67,898 
			 2001–02 74,168 
			 2002–03 42,637 
			 2003–04 62,786

Publicity

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total expenditure by her Department on (a) advertising and (b) advertising and publicity was in (i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98 and (iii) 2003–04; and what the estimate of cost of each will be in (A) 2004–05, (B) 2005–06, (C) 2006–07 and (D) 2007–08.

Richard Caborn: The information is as follows:
	(a) The Department incurred zero expenditure on advertising in 1996–97, 1997–98 and 2003–04. No expenditure on advertising will be incurred in 2004–05 and no expenditure is expected to be incurred in 2005–06, 2006–07 or 2007–08.
	(b) The Department incurred the following expenditure on publicity (including publications, marketing literature and events):
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1996–97 75,562 
			 1997–98 252,766 
			 2003–04 533,549 
		
	
	The estimated expenditure on publicity in this, and the next three, financial years is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2004–05 674,000 
			 2005–06 (18)—; 
			 2006–07 (18)—; 
			 2007–08 (18)—; 
		
	
	(18) Not yet decided

Sports Funding

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money from the New Opportunities Fund has been spent on (a) school and (b) community sport since 2000.

Richard Caborn: The New Opportunities Fund (now operating with the Community Fund as the Big Lottery Fund) has made available £738 million for school and community sport in England since 2000.
	£581 million has been made available for New Opportunities for PE and Sport (NOPES) providing community facilities in schools. Of this, £25 million has been devolved to the Space for Sport and the Arts programme and £30 million set aside for football projects, distributed via the Football Foundation.
	In 2002, £19.8 million was made available to the Out of School Hours School Sport Co-ordinators programme to resource activities that promote effective links between sport and learning. An additional £28.4 million was made available in 2004.
	The Big Lottery Fund contributed £77.5 million to the Active England programme through which new and modernised sports facilities and physical activity interventions are being developed.
	Playing Fields and Community Green Spaces, the largest of the Green Spaces and Sustainable Communities schemes, was granted £31.5 million of funding. The scheme has two main elements: playing fields and playing pitch strategies, which has been granted £22.3 million, and playgrounds and community play areas, which has been granted £9.2 million.

Staff Identity Passes

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost of producing a staff identity pass was in the Department on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many staff identity passes have been reported lost or stolen in each year since 1997.

Richard Caborn: The cost of producing a staff identity pass in the Department for Culture Media and Sport is £12 per person. In 2004, 50 passes were reported lost or stolen and they were deactivated immediately. Records of lost or stolen staff identity passes were not kept prior to 2004.

Staff Training

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the costs of departmental (a) staff training days and (b) staff development days held away from the department were in each year since 1997.

Richard Caborn: The Department offers a range of learning and development opportunities both internally within the Department and externally through other providers. All decisions about learning and development activities are focused on cost-efficiency, rather than location.
	Since 1997 the total annual cost to the Department of all learning and development provision was as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1997–1998 200,620 
			 1998–1999 311,514 
			 1999–2000 348,693 
			 2000–01 309,833 
			 2001–02 318,352 
			 2002–03 482,573 
			 2003–04 453,709 
			 2004–05 305,180 
		
	
	(19) To end of September 2004

Stationery

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Department spent on (a) stationery and (b) office supplies in each year since 1997.

Richard Caborn: Stationery and office equipment are accounted for jointly.
	The costs in the relevant years were as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1997–1998 155,743 
			 1998–1999 109,798 
			 1999–2000 170,640 
			 2000–2001 103,413 
			 2001–2002 110,404 
			 2002–2003 132,339 
			 2003–2004 172,795 
		
	
	Commencing April 2004 stationery budgets were delegated to individual units, rather than centrally funded, to increase awareness of costs.

Television Licences (Fines)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people have been fined in each of the last three years for not possessing a television licence while using a television set.

Estelle Morris: The available information relates to all offences under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts, the great majority of which, however, relate to television licence fee evasion. The number of people in England, Scotland and Wales 1 fined for offences under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts 2 in each of the last three years for which information is available was:
	1 Figures for Northern Ireland are not available.
	2 On the principal offence basis
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2000 105,203 
			 2001 83,200 
			 2002 95,757

TV Licences

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many students who live in shared accommodation paid the television licence fee in the 2003–04 financial year.

Estelle Morris: holding answer 4 February 2005
	The information requested is not available. The BBC have indicated that the records held by TV Licensing do not include comprehensive data on licences purchased by students, nor do they distinguish between addresses in single and those in multiple occupation.

TV Licences

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many undergraduate students in the UK paid the television licence fee in the 2003–04 financial year and how much revenue was raised thereby.

Estelle Morris: holding answer 4 February 2005
	The information requested is not available. The BBC have indicated that the records held by TV Licensing do not include comprehensive data on licences purchased by students, nor do they distinguish between graduates and undergraduates.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour (Lancashire)

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on tackling anti-social behaviour in Lancashire.

Hazel Blears: The Government's TOGETHER campaign helps local people and agencies to tackle and not tolerate antisocial behaviour. TOGETHER applies across all England and Wales including the hon. Members constituency.
	Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) across Lancashire have employed antisocial behaviour co-ordinators and solicitors to improve the response to antisocial behaviour. CDRPS have also undertaken environmental clean ups and are delivering diversionary activities such as youth shelters and teen meets.
	Lancashire has been at the forefront in the use of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) and ABCs. Lancashire was among the first areas in the country to obtain interim ASBOs. 114 ASBOs have been issued in Lancashire since April 1999.
	As part of TOGETHER, with our partner Groundwork UK, we have introduced Operation Gate It—a specific fund for environmental solutions to problems of antisocial behaviour. In 2003, we funded pilot Gate-It schemes in Blackburn, Bury, Bootle and Ormskirk. In June 2004, we announced further Gate It Schemes in Blackpool and Wigan. This year's award winners will be announced in shortly.
	Blackburn has been chosen as a TOGETHER action area, which will pilot new approaches and become an example of best practice in tackling antisocial behaviour. Blackburn will also look to develop new ways of involving members of the public in the drive to tackle antisocial behaviour.

Demoted Tenancies

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many tenancies have been downgraded under the provisions of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 in (a) Birmingham, (b) Bristol, (c) Leeds, (d) Liverpool, (e) Manchester, (f) Newcastle, (g) Nottingham and (h) Sheffield.

Keith Hill: I have been asked to reply.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not currently request that local authorities supply information on numbers of demoted tenancies. We are working to ensure that this information is supplied from 2005–06 onwards.
	The Housing Corporation are collecting this information from registered social landlords as part of the Regulatory and Statistical Returns for 2005–06. This data is expected to be published in August 06.

Anti-terrorism Measures

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information the Government have published for (a) the general public and (b) small businesses on terrorist alertness and prevention.

Charles Clarke: For the public the Government have published information on how they can protect themselves and their families; what to do in an emergency; how they can help prevent terrorism by being alert and reporting anything suspicious to thePolice Anti-Terrorism Hotline (0800 789 321). Thisinformation can be found in the Preparing for Emergencies booklet and on the website www.preparingforemergencies.gov.uk and information on threat and what the Government are doing to combat terrorism can be found on the Home Office website www.homeoffice.gov.uk/terrorism.
	Government advice to businesses on prevention and being alert to terrorism applies to businesses generally. The information we have published includes information on protective security from basic practical steps to technological solutions such as CCTV and protecting IT networks; information on what to do with suspicious packages; and how businesses can plan to make sure they can recover from the consequences of emergencies, whatever the cause. This information can be found on the Security Service website www.mi5.gov.uk and a range of publications to aid businesses in continuity planning are available on www.UKResilience.gov.uk.

Asylum and Immigration

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total Government spending on asylum and immigration was in each year from 1997–98 to 2003–04; what the planned expenditure is for each year from 2004–05 to 2007–08; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: This information is not available in the format requested but Immigration and Nationality Directorate expenditure and asylum support costs for the years 1997–98 to 2003–04 are set out in the table as follows. Asylum support costs were borne by other government departments up to and including 1999–2000.
	
		£ million
		
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 (20)2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Resource
			 Asylum Support non IND 375 475 52 — — — — 
			 Asylum Support IND only — — 537 747 1046 1070 1008 
			 Other IND expenditure 207 214 268 551 578 793 887 
			 Total IND expenditure 582 689 857 1318 1624 1863 1895 
			 Capital
			 IND expenditure — — — 65 142 75 101 
		
	
	(20) Because of a change in the basis of government accounting in 2000–01, from cash to resource (accruals), it is not possible to compare directly figures from 1999–2000 to 2000–01 onwards.
	IND allocations for 2004–05 and 2005–06 are as follows:
	
		£ million
		
			  2004–05 2005–06 
		
		
			 Resource 1,656 1,519 
			 Capital 130 111 
		
	
	Budgets for 2006–07 and 2007–08 have not yet been finalised.
	These figures exclude allocations to the Department for Constitutional Affairs from the single asylum budget.

Asylum and Immigration

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what means were used to inform (a) the public and (b) interested bodies of the 31 December deadline for applications for special consideration by pre-2000 applicants for asylum.

Des Browne: I wrote to right hon. and hon. Members on 19 August. Home Office officials wrote to the main non-governmental organisations working with or on behalf of asylum seekers. The correspondence drew attention to the 31 December closing date for receipt of applications under the Families ILR exercise. As a result we have received large numbers of applications.

Asylum and Immigration

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Zimbabwean asylum seekers have had their applications declined and been repatriated in each month since January 2002.

Des Browne: We have taken repatriation here to mean removal. The number of Zimbabwean nationals who had claimed asylum at some stage and have been removed from the United Kingdom between January 2002 and September 2004 is given in the table. This information includes persons who departed under assisted voluntary return schemes run by the International Organization for Migration and those who departed voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated.
	It is not possible to say at what stage in the asylum process people are at the time of their removal.
	National Statistics on the number and nationality of asylum applicants removed from the UK during the final quarter of 2004 will be published on the Home Office website, www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html, on 22 February 2005.
	
		Removals and voluntary departures(21)of asylum applicants, excluding dependants, 2002 to 2004, by month, nationals of Zimbabwe(22)(5507380023)(24) -- Number of principal applicants
		
			 Month 2002(25) 20035, 6 2004(26) 
		
		
			 January 15 * 5 
			 February 5 5 5 
			 March 5 10 5 
			 April 15 5 5 
			 May 5 5 5 
			 June 10 5 5 
			 July 10 5 10 
			 August 15 5 10 
			 September 5 5 10 
			 October 10 10 (27)— 
			 November 10 5 (27)— 
			 December 10 5 (27)— 
			 Total 110 70 55 
		
	
	(21) Includes persons departing voluntarily" after enforcement action had been initiated against them, persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration, and removals on safe third country grounds.
	(22) Figures rounded to the nearest five and may not sum due to rounding.
	(23) Figures may include a small number of dependants leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes.
	(24) Figures exclude dependants of asylum seekers removed. Data on dependants removed have only been collected since April 2001.
	(25) Data have been estimated due to data quality issues.
	(26) Provisional figures.
	(27) Data for October to December 2004 will be published in February 2005.

Asylum and Immigration

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to ensure that asylum seekers can undertake voluntary work.

Des Browne: Asylum seekers are permitted to undertake unpaid voluntary work and the Government would encourage them to do so wherever possible. It supports a number of relevant schemes from its Purposeful Activities for Asylum Seekers Fund.

Asylum and Immigration

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision has been made to provide asylum seekers, including end of process asylum seekers, from those countries affected by the tsunami (a) with temporary, humanitarian or discretionary protection in the UK and (b) permission to work until they can reasonably go home.

Des Browne: The suspension of enforced returns to areas directly affected by the tsunami is temporary and we have no plans to grant leave or permission to work to failed asylum seekers from those areas. Individuals from the directly affected areas will normally be eligible for section 4 (hard case) support while the temporary pension remains in place. Asylum applications made by individuals from areas affected by the tsunami will be considered in accordance with normal policy and procedures.

Asylum and Immigration

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum-seekers are located in the Easington constituency.

Des Browne: Statistics on the location of asylum seekers in the UK are linked to the available information on the support that the asylum seeker receives.
	At the end of September 2004 there were no asylum seekers in the Easington constituency recorded as in receipt of National Asylum Support Service (NASS) support.
	Corresponding figures for those not in receipt of NASS support are not available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
	Numbers of asylum seekers placed in NASS accommodation and numbers who are in receipt of subsistence only support from NASS, are published on a quarterly and annual basis. The next publication covering the fourth quarter of 2004 (October to December) will be available on 22 February 2005 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Asylum and Immigration

John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made with the application for indefinite leave to remain lodged in April 2004 by Mr. Hameed Al Haddad of Solihull (Home Office ref. H1021433).

Des Browne: holding answer 20 January 2005
	Following Mr. Hameed Al Haddad's application dated 2 April 2004 a decision has been taken to grant Mr. Hameed Al Haddad indefinite leave to remain. A letter informing Mr. Hameed Al Haddad of this decision was sent to his representatives, Harbans Singh & Co. by recorded delivery on 18 January 2005. The recorded delivery number is DT280841458GB.

Black Offenders

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to commission research into the reasons for increases in the number of black offenders in custody.

Paul Goggins: The prison population by ethnic group, for each year from 1993 to 2003, has been published in table 8.4 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2003". A copy of this publication is available in the House of Commons library.
	One of the reasons for the increase in the black prison population is the increase in the number of foreign nationals in prison. The population of black foreign national prisoners increased by 284 per cent. between 1993 and 2003.
	There are no plans to conduct specific research into the reasons for increases in the number of black offenders in custody. However, the forthcoming cohort study will include a sample of ethnic minority prisoners in comparison with other prisoners.

Chief Constable of Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the (a) process and (b) timetable for replacing the chief constable of Lancashire.

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects Paul Stephenson to take up his position as Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police; and what the timetable is for the appointment of his successor as chief constable of Lancashire.

Hazel Blears: Mr. Stephenson will take up his new appointment as Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police on 16 March 2005. Lancashire police authority advertised their chief constable post on 4 February. It will be considered by the senior appointments panel on 16 March, and the authority will conduct interviews on 18 and 19 April.

Correspondence

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister for Asylum and Immigration will reply to the letter of 15 November 2004 from the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan regarding his constituent Mr. G. Pesic.

Chris Mullin: I have been asked to reply.
	UKvisas, the department responsible for entry clearance matters arising overseas, replied to the hon. Member on 1 February.

Correspondence

David Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Spelthorne dated 29 September 2004 about Mr. Ayoub Soobhanu (Ref: Ruhomaun R299459).

Des Browne: I wrote to the hon. Member on 10 February 2005.

Correspondence

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply in full to the letter from the hon. Member for Totnes about Mr. Henry Arthur dated 17 November 2004, acknowledged by his Department on 26 November 2004 (ref: M18669/4).

Des Browne: I wrote to the hon. Member on 10 February.

Deportation Orders

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are used to determine deportation applications for British prison inmates who are Irish nationals; and whether this differs from the criteria used for other EU nationals.

Des Browne: European law (Council Directive 64/221 EEC) provides that nationals of member states may be expelled from the territory of another member state only on grounds of public policy, public security or public health. These provisions are reflected in the EEA Regulations 2000. A decision must then be taken as to whether deportation is justified.
	However, under section 7 of the Immigration Act 1971 (as amended), nationals of the Republic of Ireland are not liable to deportation if they were ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom at the coming into force of the 1971 Act and who, at the time of the Secretary of State's decision, had been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom for the last five years. This excludes any time during which the person claiming exemption was serving a custodial sentence of more than six months.

Dispersal Orders

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dispersal orders have been used by Devon and Cornwall constabulary since their inception.

Hazel Blears: Devon and Cornwall Constabulary tell me that, between January and August 2004, they authorised five areas under section 30 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003. In these areas 155 people were dispersed and one young person under the age of 16 was taken home.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch Presidency of the EU the Committee on the introduction of a uniform format for visas met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The EU uniform format visa (UFV) has been in operation since 1995.
	Issues surrounding the UFV, and any amendments to the legislation governing it, are discussed in the EU Visa Working Party/Mixed Committee. In addition, the European Commission Article 6 comitology committee meets to discuss technical specifications for the uniform format of visa, and in particular those elements designed to prevent counterfeiting or falsification. Both Committees meet in EU buildings in Brussels.
	The Visa Working Party met five times during the Italian presidency, six times during the Irish Presidency and six times during the Dutch presidency. The Article 6 committee met on five occasions during the same period.
	The Visa Working Party and Article 6 Committee discuss a range of issues, not just the uniform format visa. But issues relating to the uniform format visa have arisen at all meetings of the Visa Working Party during the three Presidencies. The specific UK government expert present at any meeting will vary depending on which items are on the agenda.

Fixed Penalty Notices

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices have been issued by (a) police and (b) non-police personnel in each Lancashire district in each year since 2000.

Hazel Blears: Available information on motoring fixed penalty notices issued by the Lancashire police force area can be found in the annual Home Office publication Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales Supplementary tables"—Table 20(a) refers. The information is collected at police force level only. The latest issue covers 2002. Copies are available from the Library. As at 31 December 2002 no borough council within Lancashire were enforcing parking controls.
	4,868 penalty notices for disorder were issued in Lancashire in 2004, the year of their introduction. Figures collected centrally do not allow analysis below police force area level nor distinguish between those issued by police and non-police personnel.

Gurkha Soldiers

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Gurkha soldiers living in the UK are not entitled to UK citizenship because their service ended prior to 1 July 1997; and what percentage of the total number of Gurkha soldiers living in the UK they represent.

Des Browne: Before applying for citizenship a Gurkha needs to have been granted settlement in the UK. It is not possible to provide the information requested because this would require examination of individual case files which could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Holocaust Memorial Day

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who drew up the guest list for the Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration in Westminster Hall on 27 January; and which hon. and right hon. Members were invited.

Fiona Mactaggart: The list was drawn up by the Home Office in consultation with survivor and veteran groups and stakeholder bodies with an interest in Holocaust commemoration and education.
	The following hon. Members were invited:
	The Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Liberal Democratic Party
	Six members of the Government with departmental responsibilities relevant to HMD—the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State for Defence, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Secretary of State for Education, and myself as the Home Office Minister with responsibility for Race Equality, Community Policy and Civil Renewal. In the event, the Foreign Secretary attended the commemoration at Auschwitz on the same day and was therefore unable to be present. The Secretaries of State for Defence and Education were represented by Mr. Adam Ingram and Mr. Ivan Lewis.
	The Speaker and the Leader of the House.
	The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and Mr.Rhodri Morgan and Mr. Jack McConnell representing respectively the Welsh Assembly and the Scottish Executive
	Mr. Lembit Opik, Mr. James Clappison and Mr.Andrew Lansley, as nominees of the Holocaust Education Trust. Ms. Louise Ellman as a member-designate of the new Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.

House Arrest

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the First Minister of the Scottish Executive about the compatibility of the proposals for detaining suspects under house arrest with the Scotland Act 1998.

Charles Clarke: I have received no such representations from my right hon. Friend. Nor would I expect to, since the proposals I announced on 26 January in relation to control orders relate to national security which is not a matter within the devolved responsibilities of the Scottish Parliament. However, our respective officials are in close contact regarding development of policy and on the practical implications of the proposals in Scotland.

Identity Cards

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the study conducted by Consult Hyperion Ltd. commissioned by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate into the creation of a Biometrics Governance Framework.

Des Browne: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) commissioned a study by AmtecConsulting Group in 2003 into Biometrics Co-ordination within IND in which a consultant from Consult Hyperion was involved. This report has been superseded by a study currently underway within IND into Biometrics Strategy with the same consultant from Consult Hyperion as part of the study team.
	This report is currently at review stage and is unpublished. When this study is published, a copy will be placed into the Library.

Initiatives (Funding)

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what budget has been allocated to the Home Office Communications Directorate in each of the last two years; and how many staff have been employed by the Directorate in each year.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office Communications Directorate—comprising the Press Office, the Information Services Unit, the Direct Communications Unit, the Internal Communications Unit and the Marketing and Strategic Unit—spent £33.127 million (sum of Resource and Capital) in the financial year 2003–04 and employed 228 staff. The budget for 2004–05 is £36.195 million and 254 staff are employed.

Magic Mushrooms

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much revenue was raised from VAT on the sale of magic mushrooms in each of the last five years.

Stephen Timms: HM Customs and Excise do not collect data on VAT from individual goods and services.

Ministerial Residence

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to public funds of the security works at his London home is; and what proportion of the total cost this represents.

Charles Clarke: The Home Office does not comment on the specific security arrangements of individuals.

National Offender Management Service

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the individual departments and units that (a) are already established and (b) are planned to be established within the National Offender Management Service.

Paul Goggins: Current Directorates within the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) are: the Chief Executive's Office, Policy, Finance, Health, Standards and Innovation, Information and Technology and that of the National Offender Manager.
	As part of the NOMS change agenda, the new NOMS headquarters, alongside the Prison Service and Probation Service headquarters, is being redesigned. A proposal, including the allocation of individual units to Directorates, has been put forward to staff and trade unions for their comments. The new headquarters is being planned for April 2005 and I will write to the hon. Member once the design of the new headquarters has been agreed.

National Offender Management Service

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who the employer of offender managers will be under the National Offender Management Service.

Paul Goggins: As announced on 20 July 2004, offender managers will remain employed by Probation Boards. As the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) develops, the role of Boards and the management relations between Regional Offender managers (ROMs) and offender managers will change. Detailed feasibility work and consultation will be undertaken before final decisions are made.

Neighbourhood Watch

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Neighbourhood Watch in Lancashire.

Hazel Blears: The Lancashire Neighbourhood Watch Association (LNWA) is an active organisation which has a good working relationship with Lancashire constabulary. It has 2,700 registered neighbourhood watch schemes.
	LNWA has successfully re-constructed its county committee and now has four of the six Lancashire police divisions represented at county level with a strong possibility that the remaining two will join up in the near future.
	In addition, LNWA have reached an agreement with Lancashire constabulary and Lancashire Trading Standards to provide a website which aims to fast-track information from the police and trading standards to neighbourhood watch co-ordinators. This will help prevent crimes such as distraction burglary.
	A new Lancashire county newsletter is about to be published and LNWA are working closely with the British Transport police to promote their Railway Watch scheme which aims to reduce criminal activity at railway stations in the region.
	The Home Secretary and I are very appreciative of the efforts of the LNWA including its successful partnership working with the police and others.

Passports

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2005, Official Report, column 276W, on identity cards and passports, what the reasons are for the fall in the projected numbers of passport applications between 2005 and 2009.

Des Browne: The answer of 25 January 2005, Official Report, column 276W gave projected volumes of passport demand between 2005 and 2014. During this period we anticipate fluctuating demand for both adult new applications and adult renewals. The pattern is different for each demand type and is based on the constraints detailed as follows.
	The forecast decline in adult new passport applications is due to the following:
	Since 1999, the majority of applications for new passports have been from children, as opposed to adults due to the policy introduced in 1998 that children require their own passports and should no longer be included on parents' passports.
	When a child passport holder turns 16 and applies to renew their passport, the application is treated as an adult renewal (since we already have a record of them on our database and have carried out previous identity checks). The absence of children turning 16 as a major source of adult new applications has resulted in the approach of saturation of new passport uptake within the adult population.
	Adult new passport intake has fallen from a peak of 2.2 million applications in 1996 to approximately 820,000 in 2000–01. It has gradually declined since to only 660,000 applications in 2004. The UKPS estimates that this gradual decline will persist to approximately 540,000 applications by 2009.
	Once saturation has been achieved, the actual new adult passport demand will be susceptible to variations in the number of immigrants who take up British nationality (as a consequence of Government policy) and the number of children that have not held a passport by the age of 16.
	Adult passport renewal volumes are forecast to reflect fluctuations in the volumes of passports that are available to be renewed during the period. Passports that are available to renew include:
	Adult passports issued 10 years previously; and
	Child passports issued five years previously to 11 to 15-year-old children.
	The peak in renewals around 2006 is partly driven by the fact that this is the tenth anniversary of the year when the one year British Visitors' Passport" was abolished and the fifth anniversary of the initial bulge in children passport issues, following the above mentioned policy change.

Passports

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports have been lost by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate while processing international student applications for leave to remain over the past five years.

Des Browne: Statistics on the number of letters issued for passports reported lost or mislaid by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) while processing international student applications for LTR over the last five years would be available only at disproportionate cost.
	General Group in IND deals with applications for leave to remain, including those from students. Internal management information for General Group shows there were 53 letters issued for passports reported lost or mislaid from April 2001 to March 2002; 335 issued from April 2002 to March 2003; 469 issued from April 2003 to March 2004; and 207 issued from April 2004 to November 2004. This should be balanced against the number of decisions made in the same period which were 380,000 (0.01 per cent); 403,000 (0.08 per cent); 534,000 (0.08 per cent); and 271,544(0.07 per cent) respectively.

Prisons

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures (a) are in place and (b) he plans to introduce to ensure that people and bodies in the arts field can work together to increase the range, quantity and quality of activities for prisoners.

Paul Goggins: Arts can make a significant contribution to the effective and humane operation of the prison regime. Financial support to arts activities for offenders are provided centrally to several national arts organisations. It is recognised that the arts can act as a gateway into education for prisoners who have not been engaged with formal learning. Most prisons now have a head of learning and skills, a post funded by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), and the heads determine the part that arts activities can play within the establishment.
	At a prison arts conference last year a guide on provision of voluntary sector activities in prisons was launched for heads of learning and skills and managers in the voluntary sectors.
	The unit produces a regular e-mail newsletter for arts organisations working with offenders, hosts a Forum for Arts and Offenders, and provides training to artists wanting to work with prisoners. The Unit for Arts and Offenders will be members of the newly formed NOMS Voluntary and Community Sector Advisory Group. Activities being undertaken by arts organisations in prisons and the community are documented in the Directory of Arts Activities in Prisons, which has been produced annually by the Unit for Arts and Offenders with financial support from DfES.

Prisons

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how (a) his Department and (b) the Prison Service establishes and maintains links between prisons and local employers.

Paul Goggins: The National Offender Management Service is developing a joint prison probation strategy for establishing and maintaining links with employers. These links are focused on sectors that have significant labour shortages nationally and regionally, such as: construction; catering; industrial cleaning; utilities; sports and fitness; driving, and distribution. Opportunities are also being explored in horticulture and information communication technology. These sectors were identified following consultation with the Confederation of British Industry, Jobcentre Plus and Sector Skills Councils.
	The Prison Service is taking the lead on a cross-Government work programme for engaging with employers which has been agreed by the Employment, Training and Education Sub-Board of the Reducing Re-offending Programme Board. This work programme includes contributions from NOMS, the Probation Service, Jobcentre Plus, DfES and the Learning and Skills Council. Its aim is to build on existing work to encourage employers to contribute to the training of offenders and to commit to the recruitment of those who achieve an agreed level of skills.
	At a local level, employer links are being developed and maintained by the Heads of Learning and Skills and Resettlement Managers in establishments. They work closely with Jobcentre Plus, Learning and Skills Councils and voluntary organisations to involve employers in work and training programmes for prisoners, and to encourage them to recruit prisoners upon their release.
	The Prison Service is currently developing an employer database, holding information on those who are willing and able to offer work to ex-offenders. This will enable prisons to access information about opportunities in their local area, and on a national basis to assist prisoners who are held at establishments outside their home areas.

Queen's Flight

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how how many occasions departmental Ministers have used the Queen's Flight in each of the past five years.

Charles Clarke: Travel by Ministers makes clear that special flights may be authorised when a scheduled service is not available, or when it is essential to travel by air, but the requirements of official or parliamentary business or security considerations or urgency preclude the journey being made by a scheduled service. In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The list published in 1999 covers the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1999. Where RAF/private charter aircraft are used this is shown in the list. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2004–05 will be published in due course.
	In respect of domestic ministerial travel, information is not held centrally and could be answered only at disproportionate cost.
	All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Research and Development

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much and what percentage of the Department's expenditure went on research and development in each year between 2001–02 and 2003–04.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information relating to the amount and percentage of research and development costs of total planned expenditure for the Core Home Office is shown in the table.
	
		
			  R and D spend (£ million) Percentage of total expenditure 
		
		
			 2001–02 (28)40.2 0.39 
			 2002–03 (29)50.3 0.47 
			 2003–04 (30)48 0.39 
		
	
	(28)As published in the Police Science and Technology Strategy 2003–2008 January 2003.
	(29)As published in the Police Science and Technology Strategy 2004–2009. May 2004.
	(30)As published by HM Treasury in Science and Innovation: working towards a ten-year investment framework". March 2004.

River Police

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to ensure an integrated policing approach across the boundaries of different police forces responsible for sections of the River Thames.

Hazel Blears: Policing of the River Thames is an operational matter for the forces concerned. However, the need for greater and more effective collaboration across force boundaries is an issue highlighted by the recent police reform White Paper Building Communities, Beating Crime". Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary have been commissioned to examine this issue as part of a wider study into whether the current 43 force structure in England and Wales is the right one to meet today's and tomorrow's policing needs.

Secure Juvenile Units

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many secure unit places for juvenile offenders there are in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Local authorities contract with the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales to provide 235 secure places in local authority secure children's homes across England and Wales.

Visa Extensions (Students)

David Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to achieve a reduction in the costs of processing a visa extension for an international student.

Des Browne: International students bring significant economic and social benefits to the UK. In recognition of this, students seeking to vary or extend their conditions of stay in the UK will be charged a reduced fee for postal applications. Our analysis, which is set out in the recently published Regulatory Impact Assessment, indicates that at the level proposed, the postal charges were unlikely to have a significant impact on the UK's ability to attract and retain international students. However, in order to ensure that remaining to study in the UK remains a competitive option, we have decided that charges should be at a lower rate of £250 for the standard postal service. The higher, premium fee is an optional service which students can take advantage of if they so choose.

Visa Extensions (Students)

David Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of grants of visa extensions for international students granted an incorrect period of extended leave in the last period for which figures are available.

Des Browne: We have put in place a central point of contact for correcting errors supported by UKvisas, UKCOSA and the British Council. All error cases reported to us are fully investigated and where there is a clear case of maladministration we will correct the error free of charge. We have successfully reduced delays in processing such cases . Targeted sampling of decisions in student cases to reduce error rate has identified training needs and reduced the numbers of students given incorrect leave in country.

Work Permits

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits were granted in 2004 to health workers from overseas; and from which countries they have come.

Des Browne: The number of work permit applications granted in 2004 to health workers from overseas, is shown in the table by the nationality of the prospective worker. The figures include the number of initial approvals for health workers inside and outside of the UK during 2004.
	
		
			 Country 2004 
		
		
			 Afghanistan 3 
			 Albania 6 
			 Algeria 8 
			 Antigua 1 
			 Argentina 5 
			 Australia 783 
			 Azerbaijan 1 
			 Bahamas 3 
			 Bahrain 1 
			 Bangladesh 36 
			 Barbados 29 
			 Belarus 31 
			 Bolivia 1 
			 Bosnia-Herzegovina 4 
			 Botswana 76 
			 Brazil 22 
			 British National Overseas 17 
			 British Overseas Citizen. 1 
			 Brunei 4 
			 Bulgaria 436 
			 Cameroon 98 
			 Canada 119 
			 Chile 3 
			 China Peoples Republic of 965 
			 Colombia 11 
			 Congo 5 
			 Croatia 7 
			 Cyprus 4 
			 Czech Republic 4 
			 Dominica 8 
			 Ecuador 1 
			 Egypt 132 
			 El Salvador 1 
			 Ethiopia 6 
			 Fiji 2 
			 Gambia 23 
			 Georgia 3 
			 Ghana 521 
			 Grenada 9 
			 Guatemala 1 
			 Guyana 201 
			 Hong Kong (British) 9 
			 Hong Kong (Chinese) 8 
			 Hungary 9 
			 India 8,605 
			 Indonesia 4 
			 Iran 67 
			 Iraq 17 
			 Israel 17 
			 Ivory Coast 1 
			 Jamaica 155 
			 Japan 76 
			 Jordan 46 
			 Kazakhstan 2 
			 Kenya 261 
			 Kuwait 5 
			 Latvia 1 
			 Lebanon 15 
			 Lesotho 50 
			 Liberia 2 
			 Libya 46 
			 Lithuania 3 
			 Macedonia 6 
			 Malawi 74 
			 Malaysia 185 
			 Maldives 1 
			 Malta 4 
			 Mauritius 303 
			 Mexico 4 
			 Moldova 15 
			 Mongolia 1 
			 Morocco 1 
			 Myanmar 70 
			 Namibia 28 
			 Nepal 128 
			 New Zealand 237 
			 Nigeria 880 
			 Oman 4 
			 Pakistan 862 
			 Palestine 19 
			 Palestinian Authority 1 
			 Panama 1 
			 Peru 2 
			 Philippines 4,755 
			 Poland 28 
			 Romania 452 
			 Russia 22 
			 Rwanda 2 
			 Saudi Arabia 4 
			 Serbia 3 
			 Seychelles 16 
			 Sierra Leone 62 
			 Singapore 50 
			 Slovakia 14 
			 Slovenia 1 
			 Somalia 1 
			 South Africa 2,627 
			 South Korea 29 
			 Sri Lanka 215 
			 St. Kitts 3 
			 St. Lucia 19 
			 St. Vincent 11 
			 Sudan 54 
			 Swaziland 71 
			 Syrian Arab Republic 48 
			 Taiwan 2 
			 Tanzania 43 
			 Thailand 15 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 179 
			 Tunisia 3 
			 Turkey 15 
			 Uganda 69 
			 Ukraine 125 
			 United Arab Emirates 3 
			 United States of America 260 
			 Uruguay 11 
			 Uzbekistan 12 
			 Yemen Republic of 3 
			 Yugoslavia 6 
			 Zambia 356 
			 Zimbabwe 1,782 
			 Total 27,168

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Aircraft Charters

Chris Grayling: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much money his Department has spent on chartering aircraft in each of the past five years.

Christopher Leslie: The costs of chartering aircraft by the Department in each of the past five years are not separately identifiable within the Department's accounts without incurring disproportionate costs.
	Travel by Ministers makes clear that special flights may be authorised when a scheduled service is not available, or when it is essential to travel by air, but the requirements of official or parliamentary business or security considerations or urgency preclude the journey being made by a scheduled service. In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The list published in 1999 covers the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1999. Where RAF/Private Charter aircraft are used this is shown in the list. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2004–05 will be published in due course.
	All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Crown Courts (Nurses)

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many Crown courts have a resident medical nurse.

David Lammy: The Central Criminal Court (the Old Bailey) has a resident qualified nurse (matron). The matron is employed by the City and Corporation of London which owns and manages the Old Bailey Building. No other Crown Court has a resident medical nurse.

Departmental Policies (Pendle)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Pendle constituency, the effects on Pendle of his Department's policies and activities since 2 May 1997.

Christopher Leslie: The Department for Constitutional Affairs is the Government Department responsible for upholding justice, rights and democracy. The Department's aim is to provide for effective and accessible justice for all, to ensure the rights and responsibilities of the citizen, and to modernise the law and constitution.
	Currently, the Department has six strategic objectives, which cover the delivery of justice, civil and administrative law, protecting the vulnerable, modernising the constitution, increasing consumer choice and working in partnership with the independent judiciary. The Department also has seven Public Service Agreement targets to help deliver its strategic objectives.
	Examples of the activity in 2004 to deliver these objectives include work with partners to make sure criminal trials are more efficient with the numbers of ineffective Crown Court trials falling from 24 per cent. in 2002–03 to 16 per cent. in September 2004. The rate has reduced from 31 per cent. to 25 per cent. for the same period in the magistrates' courts. The Department has also been involved in work to help people resolve their disputes in the most effective way, including pilots to test the effectiveness of court-based mediation. During 2004there was a reduction from almost 49 per cent. to 41 per cent. in those cases that had eventually to be resolved by a hearing. Another area where pilots were used successfully was for all postal voting in four regions of England at the combined European and local elections in June 2004. Voter turnout doubled in the pilot regions compared with 1999.
	The range of the Department's policies and actions is wide and the statistical information relating to all of that activity is not collected on a constituency basis. Consequently, the information requested in the question cannot be provided in the form requested except at a disproportionate cost. However, statistical information about the Department's activities can be found at: http://www.dca.gov.uk/statistics/statfr.htm as well as at www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk
	An example of the information available on those sites is data on persistent young offenders. The average number of days from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders sentenced between August and October 2004 was 59 days in the Lancashire criminal justice area, which covers the constituency of Pendle. This compares with 124 days in the Lancashire criminal justice area in the 1997 calendar year.

Freedom of Information

Julian Lewis: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what his policy is in respect of the publication (a) on the departmental website and (b) by placing copies in the Library of (i) all or (ii) only a selection of the information disclosed in response to Freedom of Information requests since January.

Christopher Leslie: A full list of information released by the Department for Constitutional Affairs under the Freedom of Information Act is published on the departmental website at http://www.dca.gov.uk/rights/dca/disclosure.htm.Where information released by the Department is of wider public interest, the documents are also published on the departmental website.
	Information released under the Freedom of Information Act by the Department for Constitutional Affairs is not routinely placed in the Library. Copies of all documents released by the Department under the Freedom of Information Act are available on request.
	Guidance on Publication Schemes, issued by the Department for Constitutional Affairs in July 2002, recommended that where information is disclosed to an individual in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act, Departments and NDPBs should consider whether the information disclosed is of general interest and include released information in the Publication Scheme where appropriate.

Judicial Appointments (Northern Ireland)

Ian Paisley: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many judicial appointments there are in Northern Ireland from the pool of solicitors engaged in private practice and counsel engaged in private practice who are occasionally or mainly employed by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Christopher Leslie: Persons appointed to full-time judicial office may not continue in private practice. Persons appointed as deputy judges may continue to be engaged in private practice. We do not hold information on the nature of the work undertaken in practice by deputy judicial office holders.

Rape Trials

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many rape trials were listed as floating cases at (a) the Central Criminal Court, (b) Teesside Crown Court and (c) Newcastle upon Tyne Crown Court during 2004.

Christopher Leslie: Records held centrally show that, during 2004, no rape trails were listed as floating cases at the Central Criminal Court, Teesside Crown Court and Newcastle upon Tyne Crown Court.

Rape Trials

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what criteria are used to determine whether to list rape trials at Crown courts as floating trials.

Christopher Leslie: Cases selected as floating trials are generally short and uncomplicated, involve few witnesses all of whom are located reasonably locally and, in the assessment of the listing officer, have a particularly good prospect of being reached. Certain cases, including rape cases, because of their sensitivity, should normally be given a fixed trial date.

Rape Trials

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what arrangements are made by the Courts Service for the presence at court of complainants in rape trials which are listed as floating trials.

Christopher Leslie: Court Service policy is that, Courts list rape trials as fixtures and not as floating trials. Arrangements for the presence of complainants, as with all prosecution witnesses, are a matter for the prosecuting solicitor. Complainants in rape trials would be offered a pre-court familiarisation visit. Arrangements can also be made for the complainant to enter the court building through a separate entrance or at a specific time and be met by a member of the court staff. Most venues of the Crown court now have dedicated witness facilities for witnesses to wait without fear of meeting the defendant. The Witness Service, which is present in all criminal courts, offers emotional and practical support for witnesses at court. Subject to judicial discretion, special measures, such as giving evidence by way of a video link or the use of screens in court, would also be available.

Rape Trials

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what training judges in sexual violence cases are given in preparation for the trial of rape cases.

Christopher Leslie: Judicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial Studies Board (JSB), an independent body chaired by Lord Justice Keene.
	No judge may hear a case involving rape or a serious sexual offence without first having received appropriate JSB training. This consists of a two-day (over three) residential seminar. The seminar programme includes talks on: research into public attitudes to sexual offending and the views of complainants and victims on the way in which sexual offences proceedings are handled; the policies and practices of the police and Crown Prosecution Service in handling serious sexual offences; issues of evidential and procedural law and practice which bear on the conduct of trials in such cases; sentencing issues and the assessment and treatment of sexual offenders in the community and in prison. Also included in the programme is a series of discussions, in small groups, of trial and sentencing issues. All judges who exercise the criminal jurisdiction will receive training on the provisions of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 as part of a programme of training on the Criminal Justice Reforms, between January and March 2005.

Stationery

George Osborne: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much the Department and its predecessors spent on (a) stationery and (b) office supplies in each year since 1997.

Christopher Leslie: My Department has national contracts for the provision of stationery and office supplies, with purchasing delegated to management unit level. Information regarding expenditure is shown in the table:
	
		£
		
			  Stationery Office supplies 
		
		
			 1997 n/a n/a 
			 1998 43,660 n/a 
			 1999 50,541 1,910,865 
			 2000 45,991 2,380,618 
			 2001 40,025 2,509,747 
			 2002 35,263 2,994,164 
			 2003 30,894 3,111,605 
			 2004 20,595 3,218,613 
		
	
	Prior to 1998 for stationery, and 1999 for office supplies, information regarding expenditure was not held centrally. Such information could only be provided at disproportionate cost

NORTHERN IRELAND

Ballymacarrett Parade

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action has been taken against the branch of the Monkstown Young Citizens Volunteers that displayed paramilitary regalia and flags associated with the Ulster Volunteer Force on the Ballymacarrett Loyal Orange Lodge District No.6 Parade on 12 July 2004.

Ian Pearson: Police have advised that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute any person in connection with this matter.

Ballymacarrett Parade

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action has been taken against the two bands that participated in the District Loyal Orange Lodge No. 6 Ballymacarrett Parade without undergoing the required registration.

Ian Pearson: Police have advised that a prosecution file has been submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Police Service of Northern Ireland is currently awaiting direction in the matter.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals in the Province provide cognitive behavioural therapy within the NHS for those suffering with depression and anxiety.

Angela Smith: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave yesterday to question reference 212165.

Conferences

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many conferences were (a) attended by officials from his Department, (b) cancelled by and (c) facilitated by his Department in each year since 1997; and what the (i) cost to the Department and (ii) location was in each case.

Paul Murphy: This information is not held in the format requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Control Orders

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in what circumstances Control Orders as announced by the Home Secretary on 26 January 2005 could be used against suspected terrorists in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Home Secretary wrote to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with an outline of his proposed policy on 21 January 2005. Until detailed legislative proposals are brought forward, it will not be possible to assess the applicability of control orders to Northern Ireland.

Dentists

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many NHS whole-time equivalent dentists there are in the Province.

Angela Smith: Whole-time equivalent (WTE) information is not captured centrally in respect of general dental practitioners, who are independent contractors, but it is possible to provide an estimate at Northern Ireland level based on a recent workload survey. Precise WTE information is available, however, in relation to those dentists directly employed by Trusts.
	Both headcount and WTE figures for each of these, as at December 2004, are provided in the table.
	
		
			  Headcount WTE 
		
		
			 General Dental Practitioners 734 552.0(31) 
			 Trust Employed Dentists 164 117.6 
		
	
	(31)Figure estimated from a survey carried out by Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety in October 2004

Dentists

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many dentists in the Province left the NHS for the private sector in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: The information requested is not available.

Diabetes

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of diabetes sufferers in the Province received retinal screening in the last year for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: Accurate information on the total number of diabetics in Northern Ireland is not available and therefore an accurate percentage cannot be calculated. However, there is information on the number of diabetics who have undergone retinal screening and this is provided below.
	From 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2004, 12,165 people have undergone screening using digital imaging as part of the screening programme for diabetic retinopathy on behalf of the Eastern, Northern and Southern Health and Social Services Boards.
	The Western Health and Social Services Board carries out a separate screening programme. The figures that are available cover the period 1 April 2004 to 31 October 2004 and indicate that 2,960 patients received retinal scans.

Health Care Staff

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what incentives have been provided to discourage nurses from leaving (a) the profession and (b) the Province to work elsewhere.

Angela Smith: A review of the nursing workforce in March 2002 and subsequent annual reviews did not identify retention as a major issue. There are therefore no specific retention incentives in place. However, in relation to the workforce overall, it is recognised that retention is important in planning for future staffing. Employers have been asked to build this into their strategic planning.
	The position is being kept under review through the Department's ongoing workforce planning process.

Magistrates

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list recently appointed magistrates broken down by those appointed on a (a) full-time and (b) part-time basis; and what their religion is in each case.

Christopher Leslie: I have been asked to reply.
	The following appointments of resident magistrates and deputy resident magistrates were made during the last three years:
	
		
			  Date Appointed 
		
		
			 Mr. J Meehan RM 1 February 2002 
			 Mrs F Bagnall RM 4 July 2003 
			 Mr. L McNally RM 4 July 2003 
			 Mr. G Miller deputy RM 1 October 2002 
			 Mr. P Magill deputy RM 1 October 2002 
			 Ms A Henderson deputy RM 1 October 2002 
			 Mr. A Kennedy deputy RM 1 October 2002 
		
	
	There are currently no part-time resident magistrates. Personal information, in relation to community background, is not held for these appointees.

Mobile Phones

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many mobile telephones have been reported lost or stolen from the Department in each year since 1997; and what the cost was in each year.

Ian Pearson: The details of the number of mobile phones lost or stolen from the Northern Ireland Office, together with the associated costs of replacements, in each of the years requested are laid out in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of phones reported lost Number of phones reported stolen Cost of replacements (£) 
		
		
			 1997 0 0 Nil 
			 1998 0 0 Nil 
			 1999 0 0 Nil 
			 2000 0 0 Nil 
			 2001 8 2 80.00 
			 2002 2 1 Nil 
			 2003 2 2 Nil 
			 2004 0 6 225.12 
		
	
	This answer relates only to the Northern Ireland Office and does not include information in respect of the eleven departments of the Northern Ireland Administration.

NHS Consultants

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many consultant vacancies there are in each health trust in the Province, broken down by specialty; and what the duration is of each vacancy.

Angela Smith: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave on 3 February 2005, Official Report, column 1064W.

Parliamentary Questions

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will answer the question tabled by the hon. Member for East Londonderry on 20 January 2005, reference 210847.

Barry Gardiner: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 8 February 2005, Official Report, column 1488W.

Post-primary Admissions (Consultation)

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Government plans to deliver the consultation on new post-primary admissions criteria to every household in Northern Ireland.

Barry Gardiner: All parents of school-age children have been given a leaflet providing them with details of the consultation and how they can respond to it. Advertisements have been placed in the three main newspapers (Belfast Telegraph, Newsletter, Irish News) giving details of the consultation and whilst it is not intended to deliver a copy of the consultation document to every home in Northern Ireland over 14,000 copies of the document have already been sent to education partners, schools, churches, political parties, and community and voluntary groups. The document can also be viewed and downloaded from the Department of Education website, and responses to the consultation can be made on-line. All those who prefer to receive a paper copy can do so by contacting the Department of Education.

Pre-school Children (Child Care)

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pre-school age children there were in Northern Ireland on the latest date for which figures are available.

Ian Pearson: It is estimated that 87,288 children aged 0–3 were resident in Northern Ireland in mid-2003.

Radio Licences

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many commercial radio licences were in use in Northern Ireland at the end of 2004.

Estelle Morris: I have been asked to reply.
	There were 15 commercial radio services broadcasting in Northern Ireland at the end of 2004; seven local analogue services and eight digital sound programme services.

Southern Education and Library Board

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the outcome was of the investigation undertaken by the Southern Education and Library Board against an officer accused of receiving bribes regarding school contract tenders; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: The Southern Education and Library Board completed an internal investigation into the allegations made against a board officer, in accordance with the formal procedure for dealing with disciplinary matters involving board officers. The investigation revealed that while a board officer had behaved inappropriately, board tendering procedures had not been compromised, nor had the board suffered a loss as a result of the officer's actions. Disciplinary action was taken against the officer for inappropriate behaviour.
	The Department of Education, Northern Ireland Audit Office, and the PSNI were informed of the allegation, investigation, and outcome. The PSNI decided to take no action in the case.
	I am satisfied that the board has handled this issue in an appropriate manner.

Speeding

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many drivers have been caught speeding by the Police Service of Northern Ireland Traffic Branch since November 2004; and in which areas offences took place.

Ian Pearson: The figures requested are set out in the following table:
	
		Number of speeding detections(fixed penalty notice and safety camera) by roads policing officers—1 November 2004 to 4 February 2005
		
			  Number of detections 
		
		
			 Rural region  
			 DCU area 
			 Armagh DCU 21 
			 Ballymena DCU 94 
			 Ballymoney DCU 32 
			 Banbridge DCU 339 
			 Coleraine DCU 140 
			 Cookstown DCU 16 
			 Craigavon DCU 74 
			 Down DCU 148 
			 Dungannon DCU 74 
			 Fermanagh DCU 38 
			 Foyle DCU 330 
			 Limavady DCU 79 
			 Magherafelt DCU 207 
			 Moyle DCU 19 
			 Newry and Mourne DCU 624 
			 Omagh DCU 162 
			 Strabane DCU 12 
			 Rural total: 2,409 
			   
			 Urban region  
			 Antrim DCU 126 
			 Belfast East DCU 214 
			 Belfast North DCU 90 
			 Belfast South DCU 241 
			 Belfast West DCU 9 
			 Carrickfergus DCU 16 
			 Castlereagh DCU 117 
			 Larne DCU 12 
			 Usburn DCU 133 
			 Newtownabbey DCU 100 
			 Newtownards DCU 96 
			 North Down DCU 288 
			 Urban total 1,442 
			   
			 Overall total 3,851

Traffic Wardens

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to change arrangements for employment of traffic wardens in Northern Ireland.

Ian Pearson: The primary duty of traffic wardens is the enforcement of parking and waiting restrictions.
	When decriminalised parking enforcement is introduced by the Department for Regional Development in mid-2006, the enforcement of parking and waiting restrictions will become the responsibility of that Department and be undertaken by traffic attendants employed by a specialist parking contractor for that purpose. Other functions currently undertaken by traffic wardens, not related to parking enforcement, will remain the responsibility of the PSNI.

Trauma Counsellors

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many specialist trauma counsellors are working in the Province.

Angela Smith: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave yesterday to question reference 212184.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefit Claims (Processing)

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the average time taken to process a claim for attendance allowance was in each year since 1975;
	(2)  what the average time taken to process a claim for disability living allowance was in each year since 1975.

Maria Eagle: The administration of attendance allowance is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service, Mr. Terry Moran. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Terry Moran to Mr. Howard Flight, dated 10 February 2005
	In reply to two of your recent Parliamentary Questions about the Disability and Carers Service, the Minister for Disabled People, Maria Eagle, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time taken to process a claim for disability living allowance and a claim for attendance allowance was in each year since 1975.
	
		
			  Disability living allowance Attendance allowance 
			  Target Achievement Target Achievement 
		
		
			 Days 
			 2004–05 39 36.6 24 18.7 
			 2003–04 42 39.7 26 20.8 
			 2002–03 43 42 27 24.2 
			 Percentage 
			 2001–02 95% in 73 days 91.3 95% in 63 days 94.93 
			 2000–01 95% in 73 days 88.7 95% in 63 days 92.1 
			 1999–2000 85% in 53 days 79.03 85% in 53 days 87.47 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.Disability living allowance was created in 1982.
	2.Actual average clearance times are used from 2001–02 to report target achievement so comparisons to earlier periods are not possible.
	3.The earliest data available is 1990–2000.
	Source:
	DCS Finance and Performance Management Team

Benefit Claims (Processing)

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time taken to process a claim for pension credit was in each year for which figures are available.

Malcolm Wicks: The average actual clearance time for pension credit applications between October 2003, when pension credit was introduced, and March 2004 was 12.3 days. The average actual clearance time between April and December 2004 was 10.3 days.

Benefit Payments (Wales)

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claimed sickness-related benefit in each constituency in Wales in the latest period for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: The information is in the table.
	
		All incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disability allowance (SDA) claimants in each parliamentary constituency in Wales at 31 August 2004
		
			  All IB SDA 
		
		
			 Aberavon 7,000 6,400 600 
			 Alyn and Deeside 3,500 3,100 *300 
			 Blaenau Gwent 7,900 7,300 700 
			 Brecon and Radnorshire 3,400 2,900 *500 
			 Bridgend 5,000 4,300 700 
			 Caernarfon 2,900 2,400 500 
			 Caerphilly 8,500 7,700 800 
			 Cardiff Central 3,600 3,200 *400 
			 Cardiff North 3,100 2,800 *300 
			 Cardiff South and Penarth 6,400 5,700 600 
			 Cardiff West 5,500 4,900 600 
			 Carmarthen East and Dinefwr 4,700 4,200 500 
			 Carmarthen West and  South Pembrokeshire 4,000 3,500 500 
			 Ceredigion 4,400 4,000 *400 
			 Clwyd South 4,700 4,100 600 
			 Clwyd West 4,000 3,600 *300 
			 Conwy 3,900 3,500 *500 
			 Cynon Valley 6,900 6,300 600 
			 Delyn 3,700 3,300 *400 
			 Gower 5,000 4,500 600 
			 Islwyn 5,500 5,200 *300 
			 Llanelli 6,700 6,300 *400 
			 Meirionnydd Nant Conwy 1,600 1,400 *200 
			 Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney 9,500 8,800 700 
			 Monmouth 3,400 3,000 *400 
			 Montgomeryshire 2,600 2,200 *300 
			 Neath 6,400 5,900 500 
			 Newport East 4,700 4,200 500 
			 Newport West 4,800 4,400 *400 
			 Ogmore 7,400 6,600 800 
			 Pontypridd 6,300 5,800 500 
			 Preseli Pembrokeshire 4,200 3,800 500 
			 Rhondda 9,000 8,400 600 
			 Swansea East 6,400 5,700 700 
			 Swansea West 5,700 5,100 600 
			 Torfaen 6,800 6,200 600 
			 Vale of Clwyd 4,900 4,100 800 
			 Vale of Glamorgan 5,000 4,600 *400 
			 Wrexham 3,800 3,400 *400 
			 Ynys Mon 4,200 3,800 *400 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
	2.Incapacity benefit figures include credits-only cases.
	3.Figures marked *" are based on very few sample cases and therefore subject to a high degree of sampling error and should be used as a guide to the current situation only.
	Source: IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. sample.

Carer's Allowance

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have been declared ineligible for a carer's allowance in each of the last five years because they have a state pension.

Maria Eagle: The available information is in the table.
	Carer's allowance is payable to carers of state pension age who meet the condition of entitlement to the allowance and do not receive a state pension, or where the weekly rate of state pension paid is lower than the weekly rate of carer's allowance. In those cases a reduced rate of carer's allowance is paid to bring the total amount of state pension and carers allowance paid up to the carer's allowance weekly rate.
	These arrangements are in line with the basic principle of the social security system that only one benefit at a time can be paid for the same purpose. Carer's allowance and state pension cannot be paid at the same time because both of them are non-income-related benefits designed to provide a degree of replacement for lost or foregone income.
	In cases where these arrangements preclude the payment of carer's allowance, the carer's entitlement to the allowance gives them access to the carer premium, currently £25.55 per week, in the income related benefits such as income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit and to the similar amount in pension credit.
	Carer's allowance: total number of cases in each year from 2001 to 2004 in which carer's allowance was not in payment because a state pension was in payment.
	
		
			  Number of cases in which carer's allowance is not in payment because a state pension was in payment1, 2 
		
		
			 2001 19,690 
			 2002 (34)34,770 
			 2003 107,920 
			 2004 197,305 
		
	
	(32)Figures for each year include people who claimed carer's allowance in that year but for whom the allowance could not be paid because they received state pension; people who had claimed in a previous year for whom the allowance could not be paid because they received state pension; and people who were receiving carer's allowance in that year or a previous year but ceased to receive CA when they began to receive a state pension.
	(33)Figures for the number of cases are point in time only as at 31 August 2004, 31 August 2003, 30 September 2002 and 30 September 2001.
	(34)From October 2002, the upper age limit was increased to allow carers age 65 and over to claim for the first time.
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample

Child Support Agency

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the reasons are for the 20-week delay in the making of maintenance awards by the Child Support Agency; what action is being taken to (a) issue interim awards and (b) rectify computer problems at the Agency; and what arrangements will be made to deal with cases of hardship where awards have been delayed.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, dated 11 February 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am replying on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the reasons are for the 20-week delays in the making of maintenance awards by the Child Support Agency; what action is being taken to (a) issue interim awards and (b) rectifying computer problems at the Agency; and what arrangements will be made to deal with cases of hardship where awards have been delayed.
	Issues associated with the implementation of changes to child support have been documented by the Secretary of State in his reports to Parliament and in evidence that both myself and the Secretary of State have given to the Work and Pensions Select Committee. In essence the computer service provided by EDS has not fully met our expectations and as a result work on hand is higher than forecast.
	Where appropriate, where a case cannot be progressed because of a computer defect Agency staff will contact both parties with a view to putting interim payment arrangements in place. Alternatively, parents can calculate for themselves the appropriate amount to be paid by using the self calculator on the Agency's website.
	We are working closely with EDS to remedy difficulties within their service and are hopeful that the main phase in the remediation process will be complete by the middle of 2005. If parents have lost out financially as a result of error or delay by the Agency then financial redress will be paid to them within the terms of the Departmental Guide to Financial Redress for Maladministration.

Child Support Agency

Gerry Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for child support submitted to the Child Support Agency are still outstanding after (a) three months, (b) six months and (c) 12 months.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Gerry Steinberg, dated 11 November 2005
	In reply to your recent parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am replying on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for child support submitted to the Child Support Agency are still outstanding after (a) three months (b)six months and (c) 12 months.
	I do not have the specific information to answer the question, because our data service does not provide it. I can tell you that at the end of December the Agency had received 547,545 applications, since the new scheme began, and of these, 277,767 have been cleared.

Child Support Agency

Gerry Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints were received by the Child Support Agency in the past three years.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Gerry Steinberg, dated 10 February 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am replying on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints were received by the Child Support Agency in the past three years. The figures you requested are summarised in the following table:
	
		
			  Total written complaints 
		
		
			 2001–02 27,735 
			 2002–03 29,538 
			 2003–04 49,215 
		
	
	From April 2003 we changed our complaints handling processes. This has ensured the more accurate recording of complaints and in particular count, for the first time, telephone complaints.

Civil Servants (Retirement)

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of the enhanced early retirement scheme for civil servants in his Department and its agencies was in each year from 1997–98 to 2003–04 and what the estimated cost will be in each year from 2004–05 to 2007–08; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: DWP was formed in June 2001 from the former Department of Social Security and parts of the former Department for Education and Employment, including the Employment Service.
	Expenditure on enhanced early retirement schemes for each year from 1997–98 to 2000–01 is published in the Department of Social Security Resource Accounts and for each year from 2001–02 to 2003–04 in the Department for Work and Pensions Resource Accounts. Copies of the accounts are in the Library. Expenditure in 2004–05 is estimated at £27 million. It is not possible to provide estimates for each year between 2005–06 and 2007–08, but expenditure over the three year period is expected to be around £400 million.

Computers

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) computer terminals and (b) laptop computers are held by his Department and its executive agencies.

Jane Kennedy: According to the asset register, currently within the Department for Work and Pensions and its executive agencies there are 191,800 computer terminals and 13,800 laptops.
	Some of these computers are not operational. The Department currently pays support costs for 158,100 of the terminals and 10,800 of the laptops. This supports staff working in more than one location and departmental flexible working practices. Of these, around 42,000 customer terminals and 1,500 laptops are not owned by DWP.
	There are also a number of computers that are used to support business continuity requirements, as well as a number of computers that are waiting to be recycled in line with departmental policy.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will reply to the letter dated 20 December 2004 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms. Julie Walker, transferred from the Treasury.

Alan Johnson: I replied to the hon. member on 31 January 2005.

Crisis Loan Applications

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the latest figure is for the average timescale for dealing with crisis loan applications; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Pond: The Actual Average Clearance Time (AACT) for crisis loans in December 2004 was 1.4 working days at National level. Regional AACT clearance in December 2004 ranged from 1.1 to 1.6working days.
	This is within the current internal target of clearing crisis loans within an average of two working days. The minimum clearance time that can be recorded is one day.

Departmental Expenditure

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the cost of (a) ministerial cars and drivers and (b) taxis for his Department in each of the last two years.

Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 10 January 2005, Official Report, columns 85–86W.
	The cost of taxi fares incurred by the Department forWork and Pensions is not recorded centrally and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Policies

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Burnley constituency, the effects on Burnley of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997.

Jane Kennedy: We have undertaken a fundamental overhaul of the welfare system, transforming it to an active system that fights poverty, creates opportunity and helps people become self-sufficient and independent.
	Since 2001, the Government have significantly extended and improved civil rights for disabled people in areas such as employment, education, access to goods and services and transport. Disabled people in Burnley will have benefited from these improvements in disability rights. Similarly, families with severely disabled 3 and 4-year-old children who are unable, or virtually unable to walk will have benefited from the Government's decision to lower the minimum age entitlement to the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance from April 2001, whilst older and less well off carers have gained extra help through the provisions within the National Carers Strategy.
	In 2002–03 we estimate there were around 10 million adults (22 per cent.) and 0.7 million children (5 per cent.) in Great Britain likely to be covered by the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
	The figures can be broken down to regional level which shows that 24 per cent. of adults and 5 per cent. of children in North West England are likely to be covered by the provisions of the DDA.
	Information on the numbers of customers in Burnley who are in receipt of disability living allowance (DLA) and attendance allowance (AA) is in the table.
	
		Burnley
		
			 Operational year DLA/AA recipients 
		
		
			 2001 6,900 
			 2002 7,100 
			 2003 7,500 
			 2004 7,900 
		
	
	Source:
	DWP Information Centre. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 and are from a 5 per cent. sample at 31 August each year.
	Through Jobcentre Plus, we are promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age. The number of people in work is at historically high levels of over 28.5 million; in Burnley, the proportion in employment has risen to 77.3 per cent. Our New Deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, disabled people, the over-50s and partners of unemployed people to move from benefit into work. Nationally over 1.2 million people have been helped into work by the New Deals, with over 1,800 in Burnley alone.
	Significant progress has been made in eradicating child poverty and the latest figures (for 2002–03) show that, in the UK, there were over half a million fewer children in relative low income than there were in 1996–97. Since 2001–02 incomes for lone parents in receipt of benefit have risen by more than prices or the cost of living. In April 2005 the child allowance rate in income support for a child up to 18 years old will have been increased by 40 per cent. since 2001–02. Child rates in income support and jobseeker's allowance are also being increased above inflation in April 2005 in line with child tax credit upratings. All of this has benefited 2,200 families in Burnley.
	We want all pensioners to have a decent and secure income in retirement and to share fairly in the rising prosperity of the country and our first priority has been to help the poorest pensioners. The Government will be spending nearly £10 billion more in 2004–05 (in 2004–05 prices) on pensioners as a result of measures introduced since 1997, with around half going to the poorest third.
	Our reforms include the state second pension, which helps more future pensioners build up better pensions, especially carers. Pension credit, introduced from October 2003, provides a contribution to a guaranteed minimum income for those aged 60 and over and, for the first time, those aged 65 and over may be rewarded for savings and income. As of December 2004, around 4,975 pensioners in Burnley are receiving pension credit, with an average award of £39.67 per week.
	We know that older people are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty. This winter (2004–05) we have again made available a winter fuel payment of £200 for each eligible household with someone aged 60 or over and £300 to those with someone aged 80 or over to help with their fuel bills. Additionally, for this year, eligible households with someone aged 70 or over will receive the one-off 70+ payment of £100 to help with living expenses including council tax bills. It is paid with the winter fuel payment.
	The constituency data on winter fuel payments and the additional 80+ annual payment is available in the Library.
	Since 1997 single pensioners and pensioner couples have seen a real terms increase in their basic state pension of 7 per cent. and 8 per cent. respectively. Some 15,700 pensioners in Burnley have benefited from this increase.

Departmental Policies

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set out, with statistical information relating as closely as possible to the constituency, the effects of his Department's policies since 2 May 1997 on the constituents of Ilford, North.

Jane Kennedy: We have undertaken a fundamental overhaul of the welfare system, transforming it to an active system that fights poverty, creates opportunity and helps people become self-sufficient and independent.
	Since 2001, the Government have significantly extended and improved civil rights for disabled people in areas such as employment, education, access to goods and services and transport. Disabled people in Ilford, North will have benefited from these improvements in disability rights. Similarly, families with severely disabled three and four-year-old children who are unable, or virtually unable to walk will have benefited from the Government's decision to lower the minimum age entitlement to the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance from April 2001, while older and less well off carers have gained extra help through the provisions within the national carers strategy.
	In 2002–03 we estimate there were around 10 million adults (22 per cent.) and 0.7 million children (5 per cent.) in Great Britain likely to be covered by the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
	The figures can be broken down to regional level which shows that 18 per cent. of adults and 4 per cent. of children in the London region are likely to be covered by the provisions of the DDA.
	Information on the numbers of customers in Ilford, North who are in receipt of disability living allowance (DLA) and attendance allowance (AA) is in the table.
	
		Ilford North
		
			 Operational year DLA/AA recipients 
		
		
			 2001 5,800 
			 2002 5,700 
			 2003 6,100 
			 2004 6,000 
		
	
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 and are from a 5 per cent. sample at 31 August each year.
	Source:
	DWP Information Centre
	Through Jobcentre Plus, we are promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age. The number of people in work is at historically high levels of over 28.5 million; in Ilford, North, the proportion in employment has risen to 73.1 per cent.
	Our new deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, disabled people, the over 50s and partners of unemployed people to move from benefit into work. Nationally over 1.2 million people have been helped into work by the new deals, with 990 in Ilford, North alone.
	Significant progress has been made in eradicating child poverty and the latest figures (for 2002–03) show that, in the UK, there were over half a million fewer children in relative low income than there were in 1996–97. Since 2001–02 incomes for lone parents in receipt of benefit have risen by more than prices or the cost of living. In April 2005 the child allowance rate in income support for a child up to 18-years-old will have been increased by 40 per cent. since 2001–02. Child rates in income support and jobseeker's allowance are also being increased above inflation in April 2005 in line with child tax credit upratings. All of this has benefited 2,300 families in Ilford, North.
	We want all pensioners to have a decent and secure income in retirement and to share fairly in the rising prosperity of the country and our first priority has been to help the poorest pensioners. The Government will be spending nearly £10 billion more in 2004–05 (in 2004–05 prices) on pensioners as a result of measures introduced since 1997, with around half going to the poorest third.
	Our reforms include the state second pension, which helps more future pensioners build up better pensions, especially carers. Pension credit, introduced from October 2003, provides a contribution to a guaranteed minimum income for those aged 60 and over and, for the first time, those over aged 65 and over may be rewarded for savings and income. As of December 2004, around 3,695 pensioners in Ilford, North are receiving pension credit, with an average award of £53.42 per week.
	We know that older people are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty. This winter (2004–05) we have again made available a winter fuel payment of £200 for each eligible household with someone aged 60 or over and £300 to those with someone aged 80 or over to help with their fuel bills. Additionally, for this year, eligible households with someone aged 70 or over will receive the one-off 70+ payment of £100 to help with living expenses including council tax bills. It is paid with the winter fuel payment.
	The constituency data on winter fuel payments and the additional 80+ annual payment is available in the Library.
	Since 1997 single pensioners and pensioner couples have seen a real terms increase in their basic state pension of 7 per cent. and 8 per cent. respectively. Some 16,300 pensioners in Ilford, North have benefited from this increase.

Departmental Policies

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Pendle constituency, the effects on Pendle of his Department's policies and activities since 2 May 1997.

Jane Kennedy: We have undertaken a fundamental overhaul of the welfare system, transforming it to an active system that fights poverty, creates opportunity and helps people become self-sufficient and independent.
	Since 2001, the Government have significantly extended and improved civil rights for disabled people in areas such as employment, education, access to goods and services and transport. Disabled people in Pendle will have benefited from these improvements in disability rights. Similarly, families with severely disabled 3 and 4-year-old children who are unable, or virtually unable, to walk will have benefited from the Government's decision to lower the minimum age entitlement to the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance from April 2001, whilst older and less well off carers have gained extra help through the provisions within the National Carers Strategy.
	In 2002–03 we estimate there were around 10 million adults (22 per cent.) and 0.7 million children (5 per cent.) in Great Britain likely to be covered by the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
	The figures can be broken down to regional level which shows that 24 per cent. of adults and 5 per cent. of children in the North West are likely to be covered by the provisions of the DDA.
	Information on the numbers of customers in Pendle who are in receipt of disability living allowance (DLA) and attendance allowance (AA) is in the table.
	
		Pendle
		
			 Operational year DLA/AA recipients 
		
		
			 2001 5,900 
			 2002 6,200 
			 2003 6,500 
			 2004 6,500 
		
	
	Source:
	DWP Information Centre. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 and are from a 5 per cent. sample at 31 August each year.
	Through Jobcentre Plus, we are promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age. The number of people in work is at historically high levels of over 28.5 million; in Pendle, the proportion in employment has risen to 79.2 per cent. Our New Deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, disabled people, the over-50s and partners of unemployed people to move from benefit into work. Nationally over 1.2 million people have been helped into work by the New Deals, with 1,880 in Pendle alone.
	Significant progress has been made in eradicating child poverty and the latest figures (for 2002–03) show that, in the UK, there were over half a million fewer children in relative low income than there were in 1996–97. Since 2001–02 incomes for lone parents in receipt of benefit have risen by more than prices or the cost of living. In April 2005 the child allowance rate in income support for a child up to 18 years old will have been increased by 40 per cent. since 2001–02. Child rates in income support and jobseeker's allowance are also being increased above inflation in April 2005 in line with child tax credit upratings. All of this has benefited 2,000 families in Pendle.
	We want all pensioners to have a decent and secure income in retirement and to share fairly in the rising prosperity of the country and our first priority has been to help the poorest pensioners. The Government will be spending nearly £10 billion more in 2004–5 (in 2004–05 prices) on pensioners as a result of measures introduced since 1997, with around half going to the poorest third.
	Our reforms include the state second pension, which helps more future pensioners build up better pensions, especially carers. Pension credit, introduced from October 2003, provides a contribution to a guaranteed minimum income for those aged 60 and over and, for the first time, those aged 65 and over may be rewarded for savings and income. As of December 2004, around 4,545 pensioners in Pendle are receiving pension credit, with an average award of £40.76 per week.
	We know that older people are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty. This winter (2004–05) we have again made available a winter fuel payment of £200 for each eligible household with someone aged 60 or over and £300 to those with someone aged 80 or over to help with their fuel bills. Additionally, for this year, eligible households with someone aged 70 or over will receive the one-off 70+ payment of £100 to help with living expenses including council tax bills. It is paid with the winter fuel payment.
	The constituency data on winter fuel payments and the additional 80+ annual payment is available in the Library.
	Since 1997 single pensioners and pensioner couples have seen a real terms increase in their basic state pension of 7 per cent. and 8 per cent. respectively. Some 15,000 pensioners in Pendle have benefited from this increase.

Departmental Policies

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Hemsworth constituency, the effects of changes to departmental policy since 1997 on Hemsworth constituency.

Jane Kennedy: We have undertaken a fundamental overhaul of the welfare system, transforming it to an active system that fights poverty, creates opportunity and helps people become self-sufficient and independent.
	Since 2001, the Government have significantly extended and improved civil rights for disabled people in areas such as employment, education, access to goods and services and transport. Disabled people in Hemsworth will have benefited from these improvements in disability rights. Similarly, families with severely disabled three and four-year-old children who are unable, or virtually unable to walk will have benefited from the Government's decision to lower the minimum age entitlement to the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance from April 2001, while older and less well off carers have gained extra help through the provisions within the National Carers Strategy.
	In 2002–03 we estimate there were around 10 million adults (22 per cent.) and 0.7 million children (5 per cent.) in Great Britain likely to be covered by the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
	The figures can be broken down to regional level which shows that 25 per cent. of adults and 4 per cent. of children in Yorkshire and Humber are likely to be covered by the provisions of the DDA.
	Information on the numbers of customers in Hemsworth who are in receipt of disability living allowance (DLA) and attendance allowance (AA) is in the table.
	
		Hemsworth
		
			 Operational year DLA/AA recipients 
		
		
			 2001 9,000 
			 2002 9,200 
			 2003 9,400 
			 2004 9,600 
		
	
	Source:
	DWP Information Centre. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 and are from a 5 per cent. sample at 31 August each year.
	Through Jobcentre Plus, we are promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age. The number of people in work is at historically high levels of over 28.5 million; in Hemsworth, the proportion in employment has risen to 73.4 per cent.
	Our New Deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, disabled people, the over 50s and partners of unemployed people to move from benefit into work. Nationally over 1.2 million people have been helped into work by the New Deals, with over 2,150 in Hemsworth alone.
	Significant progress has been made in eradicating child poverty and the latest figures (for 2002–03) show that, in the UK, there were over half a million fewer children in relative low income than there were in 1996–97. Since 2001–02 incomes for lone parents in receipt of benefit have risen by more than prices or the cost of living. In April 2005 the child allowance rate in income support for a child up to 18 years old will have been increased by 40 per cent. since 2001–02. Child rates in income support and jobseeker's allowance are also being increased above inflation in April 2005 in line with child tax credit upratings. All of this has benefited 2,100 families in Hemsworth.
	We want all pensioners to have a decent and secure income in retirement and to share fairly in the rising prosperity of the country and our first priority has been to help the poorest pensioners. The Government will be spending nearly £10 billion more in 2004–05 (in 2004–05 prices) on pensioners as a result of measures introduced since 1997, with around half going to the poorest third.
	Our reforms include the state second pension, which helps more future pensioners build up better pensions, especially carers. Pension credit, introduced from October 2003, provides a contribution to a guaranteed minimum income for those aged 60 and over and, for the first time, those over aged 65 and over may be rewarded for savings and income. As of December 2004, around 4,375 pensioners in Hemsworth are receiving pension credit, with an average award of £40.00 per week.
	We know that older people are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty. This winter (2004–05) we have again made available a winter fuel payment of £200 for each eligible household with someone aged 60 or over and £300 to those with someone aged 80 or over to help with their fuel bills. Additionally, for this year, eligible households with someone aged 70 or over will receive the one-off 70 plus payment of £100 to help with living expenses including council tax bills. It is paid with the winter fuel payment.
	The constituency data on winter fuel payments and the additional 80 plus annual payment are available in the Library.
	Since 1997 single pensioners and pensioner couples have seen a real terms increase in their basic state pension of 7 per cent. and 8 per cent., respectively. Some 15,700 pensioners in Hemsworth have benefited from this increase.

Disability Employment Advisers

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the (a) turnover rate and (b) average caseload has been for disability employment advisers in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many disability employment advisers there have been in each of the last 10 years, broken down by region.

Jane Kennedy: The table shows how many disability employment advisers there were per region for the period April 2003 to March 2004.
	
		
			 Region Number of disability employment advisers 
		
		
			 Scotland 85 
			 Wales 44 
			 North East 47 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 59 
			 North West 122 
			 East Midlands 41 
			 West Midlands 55 
			 East of England 45 
			 South West 52 
			 South East 66 
			 London 87 
			 Total 703 
		
	
	The remaining requested information is not available.

European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the activity of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training in the UK in the last 12 months; and if he will list the publications and newsletters published by the centre over that period.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training is usually known as Cedefop" from its French title. Its activities in the UK in 2004 focused on two key areas:
	(i) Cedefop study visits for vocational training policy makers and practitioners included six visits to the UK by practitioners and policy makers from other EU member states, during 2004, each lasting around five days. 74 visitors from 23 European countries visited England, Scotland and Wales during the period and 57 people from here studied vocational training systems in 21 countries across the EU.
	(ii) Cedefop's Refer" network provides information on developments in vocational education and training across the European Union. It comprises exchange of information between national consortia in each EU country. The network encourages and facilitates mutual exchanges of information; promotes the creation of partnerships; and provides consortium members with an opportunity to broaden their contacts with other international organisations in Europe.
	Publications and Newsletters
	A list of the publications and newsletters produced by Cedefop in 2004 can be obtained by accessing its website at www.cedefop.eu.int/publications and going to publications catalogue".

Financial Assistance Scheme

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if the Financial Assistance Scheme will cover circumstances where an employer was solvent prior to their pension scheme being wound up; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer my hon. Friend to the written statement I gave on 2 December 2004, Official Report, columns 64–66WS.

Five-year Strategy

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the evidential basis was in terms of absolute figures for spending on (a) benefits, (b) tax credits and (c) gross domestic product in each year since 1997 for the statement on page 14 of the Five Year Plan (Cm 6447) that welfare spending has declined from 12.3 per cent. to 11.6 per cent. of gross domestic product since 1997.

Chris Pond: The figures are given in the table. This shows that spending has declined from 12.3 per cent. to 11.6 per cent. of GDP since 1997.
	
		£ billion, rounded to nearest £100 million
		
			  Benefits(35) Tax credits(36) Gross product(37) 
		
		
			 1996–97 95.2 0.0 773.4 
			 1997–98 96.4 0.0 822.8 
			 1998–99 98.7 0.0 868.4 
			 1999–2000 102.3 1.1 919.1 
			 2000–2001 104.7 4.6 961.9 
			 2001–02 110.2 4.8 1,004.1 
			 2002–03 115.1 6.0 1,057.8 
			 2003–04 119.4 9.4 1,115.9 
			 2004–05 125.0 11.8 1,176.7 
		
	
	(35)Includes DWP benefit spending, non-DWP housing and council tax benefits, Northern Ireland benefit spending, War Pensions both before and after the transfer from DWP to the Veterans Agency in 2002 and child benefit both before and after the transfer from DWP to the Inland Revenue in 2003.
	(36)Figures provided by HM Treasury at pre-Budget report 2004 and earlier spending rounds, less DWP spending on child amounts in income support and jobseeker's allowance (which is included in the Benefits line).
	(37)GDP figures are those published on 2 December 2004.

Free Television Licences

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners are in receipt of free television licences in Warrington, North.

Estelle Morris: I have been asked to reply.
	TV Licensing, who administer free television licences for people aged 75 or over as agents for the BBC, are not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, the number of households with at least one person aged 75 or over claiming the winter fuel payment in the Warrington, North constituency in 2003–04 was 4,815, according to Department for Work and Pensions records.

Incapacity Benefit

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 13 December 2004, Official Report, columns 1384–86W, and of 24 January 2005, on incapacity benefit, when he expects to complete his exploration of ways of allowing people with progressive conditions to be able to continue permitted work beyond the initial 52 weeks without being limited to earnings of £20.

Maria Eagle: We have completed our consideration of this issue. In deciding to whom this new arrangement should apply, we have adopted exemption from the personal capability assessment (PCA) as the criterion. This is in line with the approach adopted for other purposes, for example, in the Pathways to Work Initiative, where the full mandatory provisions are not applied to clients who are exempt from the PCA. We are planning to bring these changes into effect in 2006.

Incapacity Benefit

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reason incapacity benefit claimants have to register within one month of moving into a job for the 52 week linking rule to apply.

Maria Eagle: The 52 week linking protection applies to people who have started work or training within seven days of leaving benefit. In order that the reasons for leaving benefit are correctly identified people are required to provide this information within one month. This is considered a reasonable time for the information to be supplied particularly as such a change of circumstances needs to be reported to local Jobcentre Plus and Social Security offices promptly so that benefit is not overpaid. On receipt of the information the incapacity benefit computer system is noted so that the protection is applied when a further claim is received within 52 weeks.
	We are currently reviewing the linking rules with a view to improving their effectiveness.

Incapacity Benefit

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new incapacity benefit claimants had claimed incapacity benefit in the previous 12 months, broken down by the reason for which they previously left incapacity benefit, with particular reference to those who (a) failed the personal capability assessment, (b) failed to attend a medical and (c) failed to provide information.

Maria Eagle: The information is not available.

Incapacity Benefit

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people left incapacity benefit to return to work in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: National data are available only for benefit leavers returning to work who report this to the Department. Research suggests the numbers actually returning to work is significantly higher. In Pathways areas we are getting double the level of improvement in the number of recorded job entries compared to other areas. Between October 2003 and October 2004, 8,300 people were helped into work in the Pathways areas.
	The available information is in the table.
	
		All incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disability allowance (SDA) terminations in the quarters shown recorded as aReturn to work"
		
			 Quarter ending IB/SDA IB SDA 
		
		
			 February 1999 6,500 6,200 (38)200 
			 May 1999 5,900 5,600 (38)200 
			 August 1999 5,100 4,900 (38)200 
			 November 1999 7,000 6,700 (38)300 
			 February 2000 5,300 5,100 (38)200 
			 May 2000 6,600 6,300 (38)300 
			 August 2000 6,800 6,400 (38)300 
			 November 2000 7,400 7,200 (38)200 
			 February 2001 6,100 6,000 (38)100 
			 May 2001 6,400 6,100 (38)200 
			 August 2001 6,600 6,500 (38)100 
			 November 2001 8,100 7,700 (38)300 
			 February 2002 5,100 5,000 (38)100 
			 May 2002 6,000 5,700 (38)200 
			 August 2002 5,800 5,600 (38)200 
			 November 2002 7,600 7,500 (38)100 
			 February 2003 4,900 4,800 (39)— 
			 May 2003 6,200 6,100 (38)200 
			 August 2003 6,600 6,500 (38)100 
			 November 2003 7,200 7,000 (38)200 
			 February 2004 5,200 5,200 (38)100 
			 May 2004 6,200 6,100 (38)100 
			 August 2004 6,600 6,500 (38)100 
		
	
	(38)Figures are based on very few sample cases and therefore subject to a high degree of sampling error and should be used as a guide to the current situation only.
	(39)Nil or negligible.
	Notes:
	1.Figures are not available prior to February 1999.
	2.Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
	Source:
	Information Directorate, 5 per cent. sample.

International Labour Organisation

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department informed the International Labour Organisation that it would withhold its funding contribution if it published the report Forced Labour and Migration to the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has not informed the International Labour Organisation that it would withhold its funding contribution if the ILO published the report. Officials are in regular contact with the ILO about this matter and, in conjunction with other Government Departments, are actively looking at the detail of the draft report. We will consider the issues of content and publication further when we have received their recommendations.

New Deal

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many participants in the new deal for young people have joined (a) once, (b) twice, (c) three times and (d) more than three times since its introduction.

Jane Kennedy: The new deal has been successful in helping more than 1.2 million people into work, including over half a million young people through the new deal for young people.
	Although some people will re-experience unemployment after leaving the new deal, they will have added to their skills and experience, making it easier for them to find a job in the future. People re-entering the new deal move into work more quickly than they did the first time they were on the programme because they have recent experience of work, and have more jobsearch skills.
	The requested information is in the table.
	
		Individuals who have participated in new deal for young people
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Total number of individuals who have started new  deal for young people 909,230 
			 People starting the programme once 674,280 
			 People starting the programme twice 174,020 
			 People starting the programme three times 49,110 
			 People starting the programme more than three times 11,280 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.Data is from January 1998 to September 2004.
	2.Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	New Deal Evaluation Database, DWP Information Directorate

New Deal

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many job brokers there have been within the new deal for disabled people scheme in each year since it started.

Jane Kennedy: The information is in the table.
	
		Number of job brokers on the new deal for disabled programme
		
			 Financial year Number of job brokers 
		
		
			 2001–02 61 
			 2002–03 57 
			 2003–04 56 
			 2004–05 56 
		
	
	Source:
	New Deal for Disabled People Contract Management Team data

New Deal

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on the new deal for disabled people in (a) cash and (b) real terms since its creation; what the cost has been (i) per client and (ii) per eligible claimant since its creation; and how much of the extra funding announced in the pre-Budget report 2004 has been (A) allocated and (B)spent.

Jane Kennedy: The information on expenditure on the new deal for disabled people in cash and real terms is in the table.
	
		Expenditure on the new deal for disabled peoplein cash and real terms  -- £ million
		
			  Admin expenditure Programme expenditure Total expenditure 
		
		
			 Cash terms
			 1998–99 1 — 1 
			 1999–2000 7 15 22 
			 2000–01 7 7 14 
			 2001–02 6 4 10 
			 2002–03 15 16 31 
			 2003–04 15 28 43 
			 
			 Real terms (2003–04 prices) 
			 1998–99 0.9 — 0.9 
			 1999–2000 6.3 13.6 19.9 
			 2000–01 6.4 6.4 12.8 
			 2001–02 5.6 3.8 9.4- 
			 2002–03 14.6 15.6 30.2 
			 2003–04 15.0 28.0 43.0 
		
	
	Source:
	Departmental Report 2004
	It is not possible to give the actual cost per customer, as clients' needs vary greatly as does the type of help they need. The £30 million secured in the pre-Budget report 2004 is funding for 2005–06, therefore none of this funding has yet been allocated or spent.

New Deal

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total expenditure on the new deal has been since its commencement.

Jane Kennedy: The information is in Table 7 on page 171 of the 2004 DWP Departmental Report, which is available in the Library.

New Deal

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what additional funds have been allocated to the new deal for disabled people (NDDP) up to March 2006; and how much has been allocated to the NDDP for the years to (a) March 2007, (b) March 2008 and (c) March 2009.

Jane Kennedy: As announced by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his pre-Budget report on 2 December 2004, an additional £30 million has been allocated to the new deal for disabled people for the period to March 2006. A limited procurement exercise is currently under way to secure the additional provision.
	The current new deal for disabled people is due to end in March 2006 and decisions have yet to be taken about the form and funding of provision beyond that date.

New Deal

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people have left the new deal for young people, broken down by constituency; what percentage in each constituency found sustained jobs; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many people in each parliamentary constituency (a) have started, (b) have left, (c) are participating in, (d) have found jobs following and (e) have found sustained jobs following (i) the new deal for young people and (ii) the new deal for over-25s.

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of the total number of people who have entered the new deal 25 plus have found sustained employment since the programme was launched (a) in Great Britain and (b) broken down by constituency.

Jane Kennedy: The new deal has been successful in helping more than 1.2 million people into work. Long-term youth unemployment has been virtually eradicated and long-term adult unemployment has fallen by three-quarters since 1997.
	New deal for young people has contributed to this success by helping more than half a million young people into work, and over 200,000 long-term unemployed adults have been helped into work through new deal 25 plus.
	People who return to jobseeker's allowance after finding a job through the new deal have added to their skills and experience, making it easier for them to find a job in the future. In addition, when they re-enter the new deal, people also move into work more quickly than they did the first time they were on the programme because they have recent experience of work and have more jobsearch skills.
	The requested information has been placed in the Library.

Pathway to Work

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has so far been spent on the Pathway to Work pilots, broken down by (a) jobcentre plus services, (b) payments to claimants, (c) payments to voluntary sector providers and (d) other categories of payments.

Maria Eagle: The available information is in the table.
	
		Expenditure on Pathway to Work pilots
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 Jobcentre Plus services 16,252,190 
			 Customer payments 6,154,550 
			 Other categories of payment 24,586,450 
			 Total 46,993,190 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.The figure for Jobcentre Plus services is actual spend. The figures shown for customer payments and other categories are estimated.
	2.Information concerning payments to voluntary sector providers is not available.
	Source:
	DWP administrative data.

Pathway to Work

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many specially trained personal advisers there were in the (a) original and (b) new Pathways to Work pilot areas; and what the average caseloads are of each.

Maria Eagle: The number of specially trained personal advisers in the seven existing Pathways to Work pilot areas is 134 in total, broken down as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Bridgend and Rhondda Cynon Taf 24 
			 Derbyshire 26 
			 East Lancashire 18 
			 Essex 20 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside 12 
			 Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, Argyll and Bute 26 
			 Somerset 8 
		
	
	The Department is currently preparing costing information for the new Pathways to Work areas and expects this to be available by the end of the current financial year. This will facilitate recruitment of the appropriate number of personal advisers to be specially trained.
	The information requested on the average caseload of a personal adviser is not available.

Pension Credit

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what statistics his Department has collected on (a) take-up and (b) eligibility to pension credit since 31 October 2004; and if he will collect and publish statistics on pension credit eligibility at constituency level.

Malcolm Wicks: Information on levels of pension credit take-up and eligibility is not collected directly. Estimates of eligibility are derived from the yearly Family Resources Survey (FRS). Current estimates are projected forward using the FRS for 2002–03 and modelled with the Department's Policy Simulation Model. Robust figures on eligibility and take-up will not be available until full analysis of the FRS for 2003–04 and will be published in the National Statistics publication Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up". The FRS does not provide enough information to break down figures to constituency level.
	Information on numbers of households and individuals in receipt of pension credit in each Government Office Region and constituency at 31 December 2004 was published in the most recent quarterly pension credit progress report, on 3 February. A copy of the report is in the Library.

Pension Credit

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of pension credit in each Greater London borough are receiving (a) less than 10p, (b) 10p to 19p, (c) 20p to 29p, (d) 30p to 39p, (e) 40p to 49p, (f) 50p to 59p, (g) 60p to 69p, (h) 70p to 79p, (i) 80p to 89p and (j) 90p to 99p per week.

Malcolm Wicks: The figures in question for individual London boroughs are too small to be reliable. The information for inner and outer London areas is given in the following table. An award of pension credit of less than 10p per week is not payable unless the person is receiving another benefit payable with pension credit. 
	
		Pension credit awards of less than £1, London Government office region (GOR), 31 December 2004
		
			  All Less than 10p 10p-19p 20p-29p 30p-39p 40p-49p 
		
		
			 London GOR 500 35 25 30 20 45 
			
			 Outer London   
			 East and North East 150 10 10 10 5 15 
			 West and North West 95 5 5 (40)— 5 10 
			 South 70 5 (40)— 5 — 5 
			
			 Inner London   
			 West 50 5 (40)— (40)— (40)— 5 
			 East 135 10 5 5 10 10 
		
	
	
		
			  50p-59p 60p-69p 70p-79p 80p-89p 90p-99p 
		
		
			 London GOR 40 60 75 75 100 
			   
			 Outer London  
			 East and North East 5 15 30 20 25 
			 West and North West 10 10 10 15 25 
			 South 10 10 10 10 15 
			   
			 Inner London  
			 West 5 5 10 5 10 
			 East 10 15 15 25 25 
		
	
	(40)Nil or negligible.
	Notes:
	1.Data as at 10 December 2004 have been rated up to give month end figures.
	2.Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.
	3.Totals may not sum due to rounding.
	4.Local authorities are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, Department for Work and Pensions, 100 per cent. sample.

Pension Credit

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people are eligible to receive the pension credit severe disability premium; and how many people receive it;
	(2)  how many people are eligible to receive the pension credit carers premium; and how many people receive it.

Malcolm Wicks: At 31 August 2004, the most recent date for which figures are available, approximately 584,600 recipients of pension credit in Great Britain were in receipt of the extra amount payable to those with severe disability and 129,600 were in receipt of the extra amount payable to carers. Estimates of how many people are eligible to receive these additional amounts are not available.
	Notes:
	1. Data has been taken from a 5 per cent. sample and is subject to a degree of sampling variation.
	2. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, Department for Work and Pensions

Pension Credit

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claimed pension credit in each constituency in Scotland in the latest period for which figures are available.

Malcolm Wicks: Information on numbers of households and individuals in receipt of pension credit in each constituency at 31 December 2004 is contained in the most recent quarterly pension credit progress report, which was published on 3 February. A copy of the report is in the Library.

Pension Credit

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners have received pension credit in North Durham since its inception.

Malcolm Wicks: Approximately 5,800 households in the constituency of Durham North, comprising approximately 7,100 individuals, have received pension credit since it was introduced in October 2003.
	Notes:
	1.Data has been taken as at November 2003, February 2004, May 2004 and August 2004.
	2.The total number of pension credit claimants has been derived by summing customers who existed on at least one of the quarterly data extracts referred to in note 1.
	3.Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	4.Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are subject to a degree of sampling variation.
	5.Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	6.Pension credit replaced the minimum income guarantee from 6 October 2003.
	7.Individual recipients may include a small number of partners under the age of 60.
	Source: IAD Information Centre, Department for Work and Pensions, five per cent. sample.

Pension Payment

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance has been issued to post offices on procedures to be followed in relation to payment of pensions over Post Office counters to people who have not set up Post Office accounts or supplied bank details to the Benefits Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Pond: The Department has not issued any guidance to Post Office Ltd. concerning those pensioners who have not yet provided account details or opened a Post Office card account. The responsibility for issuing guidance to Post Office staff on benefit and pensions matters rests with Post Office Ltd., following the appropriate level of consultation with DWP.

Pension Payment

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners have had payment books withdrawn by Post Office staff on instructions from the Benefits Agency relating to new pension payment arrangements.

Chris Pond: None.
	The Pension Service would not issue instructions to Post Office staff to withdraw an order book as part of the process of conversion to direct payment.

Pension Payment

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money the average pensioner in North Durham received in (a) 2001 and (b) the last year for which figures are available.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is not available.

Pension Payment

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money the average pensioner received in Warrington, North in (a) 1997 and (b) the last year for which figures are available.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is not available.

Personal Capability Assessments

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of new claimants underwent their personal capability assessment within 12 weeks of applying for the claim in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: The information is not available.

Return to Work

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assistance is available to people with disabilities to return to work in Hendon; how many people have taken up this assistance in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: There are a number of programmes, such as Access to Work, Work Preparation and Workstep designed to help disabled people return to work. Jobcentre Plus also offers interviews with a personal adviser to all disabled people making new or repeat claims to qualifying benefits to ensure they are aware of the help and opportunities available to them.
	Access to Work is a specialist disability programme, which provides practical advice and support to help disabled people enter or stay in paid employment.
	Work Preparation is an individually tailored, work-focused programme that enables disabled people to address barriers associated with their disability and prepare for working with the confidence necessary to achieve and sustain their job goal.
	Workstep provides support in jobs for disabled people who have more complex barriers to finding and keeping work but who, with the right support, can work effectively and develop in their job. Longer-term support continues to be available for those who need it and is a major element of the programme.
	Details of the number of disabled people helped to return to work through Access to Work, Work Preparation and Workstep in each of the last five years are not available at constituency or Jobcentre Plus district level.
	Disabled people may also receive help through the new deal programme. New deal for disabled people is a voluntary programme which gives customers on qualifying disability or health-related benefits in England, Scotland and Wales access to a network of Job Brokers. Job Brokers work with customers to help them compete in the labour market and support them in finding and keeping a job.
	Disabled people may also receive help through other New Deal programmes such as the new deal for young people, new deal 25 plus, new deal 50+, and new deal for lone parents. Over the last five years we estimate that around 430 disabled people have been supported through these new deal programmes in Hendon, of which around 180 have entered work.
	Information relating to people supported through the New Deal for Disabled People is not available at constituency level. The available information for the North London Jobcentre Plus district is in the following table.
	
		Number of people who have benefited from the new deal for disabled people in North London Jobcentre Plus district
		
			  Individual starts Individuals into work 
		
		
			 July 2001 to September 2001 0 0 
			 October 2001 to September 2002 120 10 
			 October 2002 to September 2003 270 70 
			 October 2003 to September 2004 250 110 
			 Total 640 190 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.Starts figures relate to the number of individuals registering with an NDDP Job Broker.
	2.Individuals into work figures relate to the number of individuals gaining NDDP Job Broker jobs and individuals gaining NDDP Jobcentre Plus jobs.
	3.The NDDP programme is available to people in receipt of a disability or health related benefit and started in July 2001.
	4.All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 and for this reason components may not necessarily sum to totals.
	Source:
	New Deal Evaluation Database

Secondment

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the people working within his Department on secondment from the private sector, broken down by (a) the organisation or industry they came from and (b) the policy responsibilities they have been given.

Maria Eagle: There are currently 14 inward secondees in the Department, 12 of whom are listed. We have omitted two secondees operating at junior level as we are not able to contact them to comply with the Data Protection Act.
	
		
			 Name Employed By Responsibilities 
		
		
			 Michael Foley IBM Child Support Reforms (CSR) Project Manager 
			 Joan Christmas Penna Public sector mobility brokerage policies 
			 Cay Stratton Financial Services industry Director of National Employment Panel (NEP) 
			 Caroline Haynes Centrica Head of National Employment Panel (NEP) Performance Committee 
			 Mary Allan Triage Central Ltd. Enhancement of Private Sector Led Delivery of New Deal 
			 Rhona Walker Triage Central Ltd. Enhancement of Private Sector Led Delivery of New Deal 
			 Irene Gardner Triage Central Ltd. Enhancement of Private Sector Led Delivery of New Deal 
			 Peter Boulton Triage Central Ltd. Enhancement of Private Sector Led Delivery of New Deal 
			 Marie McGrath Triage Central Ltd. Enhancement of Private Sector Led Delivery of New Deal 
			 Jane Foster Triage Central Ltd. Enhancement of Private Sector Led Delivery of New Deal 
			 Sharon Cook Triage Central Ltd. Enhancement of Private Sector Led Delivery of New Deal 
			 Faisa Chowdhury At Work Outreach Advisor with specific responsibility for engaging with people from Ethnic Minority communities 
			 Alison Wasbourne The Wise Group Partnership Manager responsible for building networks with other agencies in the East end of the city 
			 Scott Bonsall Liberata Assisting in the Implementation of BFI recommendations within the Region as part of a Joint Regional Board Initiative

State Pension

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost in each of the next six financial years, net of savings in means-tested benefits and additional income tax revenues, of paying a full basic state pension to everyone over state pension age, regardless of contribution record.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 7 February 2005
	The information is in the table.
	
		
			  Net cost (£ million) 
		
		
			 2005–06 5.0 
			 2006–07 5.0 
			 2007–08 5.1 
			 2008–09 5.2 
			 2009–10 5.2 
			 2010–11 5.1 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.Figures are for Great Britain only, in 2004–05 price terms, using the Gross Domestic Product deflator index, rounded to the nearest £100 million. They assume overnight introduction for all citizens above state pension age.
	2.It is assumed that the rules are changed from 2005–06 and that basic state pension is increased in line with prices. It is assumed that all individuals above state pension age (65 for men; 60 for women) receive the full category A rate of basic state pension (currently £79.60 per week) regardless of contribution record or marital status.
	3.Gross additional basic state pension costs are estimated by the Government Actuary's Department and are consistent with Budget 2004 assumptions and use 2002 based population projections. basic state pension costs refer to the additional costs after allowing for consequential changes to national insurance fund benefits and non-income-related vote benefits.
	4.Costs are net of income related benefits and income tax. For illustrative purposes it is assumed that the proportion of savings calculated is constant after 2006–07.

State Pension

Alan Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average income of state pensioner households in England and Wales was in each year from 1991 to 2004.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested that is available is in the tables.
	The pensioners' incomes series has been based on data from the Family Resources Survey since 1994–95 and income information for FRS data is only available for the financial years 1994–95 to 2002–03
	Family Expenditure Survey (FES) before 1994–95. Due to methodological differences between the surveys, results from FES and FRS can not be directly compared. 
	
		Table A: The mean incomes of all pensioner units in England and Wales 1994–95 to 2002–03 -- £
		
			  1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 
		
		
			 Gross income 221 218 231 234 245 
			 Net BHC income 190 190 200 202 209 
			 Net AHC income 161 161 171 174 183 
			 Gross income from state retirement pension 95 91 95 95 97 
		
	
	
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Gross income 252 267 275 275 
			 Net BHC income 216 227 234 236 
			 Net AHC income 189 203 211 213 
			 Gross income from state retirement pension 100 100 106 108 
		
	
	
		Table B: The mean incomes of pensioner couples in England and Wales 1994–95 to 2002–03 -- £
		
			  1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 
		
		
			 Gross income 319 312 334 341 352 
			 Net BHC income 271 268 288 289 296 
			 Net AHC income 242 240 259 262 273 
			 Gross income from state retirement pension 127 121 126 127 129 
		
	
	
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Gross income 359 384 396 383 
			 Net BHC income 302 319 331 324 
			 Net AHC income 277 299 310 305 
			 Gross income from state retirement pension 132 132 139 142 
		
	
	
		Table C: The mean incomes of single pensioners in England and Wales 1994–95 to 2002–03 -- £
		
			  1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 
		
		
			 Gross income 160 160 166 166 176 
			 Net BHC income 140 141 146 146 153 
			 Net AHC income 111 112 117 118 126 
			 Gross income from state retirement pension 75 73 76 74 77 
		
	
	
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Gross income 181 192 194 200 
			 Net BHC income 159 167 170 175 
			 Net AHC income 131 141 145 150 
			 Gross income from state retirement pension 78 79 84 85 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.Incomes are presented as pounds per week. Figures for incomes are given in 2002–03 prices and rounded to the nearest pound.
	2.The pensioners' incomes series analysis is for pensioner units, which are either: single pensioners (defined as. people over state pension age) or pensioner couples (defined as married or cohabiting pensioners where the man is over state pension age.)
	3.BHC stands for before housing costs' and AHC for after housing costs'.
	4.State retirement pension includes the basic state pension, as well as earnings related-related component from SERPS or its predecessor graduated
	5.Net income is income from all sources deducting income tax and council tax. retirement benefit.
	Source:
	Tables A, B and C: Based on data from The Pensioners' Incomes Series 2002–03 (which is based on data from the Family Resources Survey).

Winter Fuel Payment

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each electoral ward in Dartford constituency claimed the winter fuel allowance in 2003–04; and how many claimed the allowance in 2004–05.

Malcolm Wicks: The number of people in each electoral ward in the Dartford constituency who received a winter fuel payment in winter 2003–04 is in the following table. Figures are not yet available for winter 2004–05 but we expect the numbers to be similar.
	
		
			 Ward Winter fuel payment recipients 
		
		
			 Bean and Darenth 850 
			 Brent 1,185 
			 Castle 70 
			 Farningham, Horton Kirby and South Darenth 990 
			 Fawkham and West Kingsdown 1,415 
			 Greenhithe 530 
			 Hartley and Hodsall Street 1,680 
			 Heath 1,180 
			 Joyce Green 785 
			 Joydens Wood 1,690 
			 Littlebrook 760 
			 Longfield, New Barn and Southfleet 1,635 
			 Newtown 840 
			 Princes 1,075 
			 Stone 935 
			 Sutton-at-Hone and Hawley 850 
			 Swanscombe 995 
			 Town 395 
			 West Hill 1,015 
			 Wilmington 1,010 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.All wards based on Census Wards—those current as at April 2003.
	2.The wards of Farningham, Norton Kirby and South Darenth, Fawkham and West Kingsdown and Hartley and Hodsall Street are included as they are partially in the Dartford parliamentary constituency.
	3.WFP Data is the latest currently available, winter 2003–04.
	4.All benefit counts at ward level are rounded to a multiple of 5.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre

Winter Fuel Payment

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received the winter fuel allowance in the Easington constituency in 2004.

Malcolm Wicks: Information on the number of people in the Easington constituency who received a winter fuel payment in winter 2003–04 is in the Library. Information on winter 2004–05 is not yet available but we expect the number to be similar.

Winter Fuel Payment

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are in receipt of the winter fuel allowance in Warrington, North; and how much has been spent on this allowance in the constituency.

Malcolm Wicks: Information about the number of payments at each rate to people in the Warrington, North constituency is in the Library.

Winter Fuel Payment

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners have received the winter fuel allowance in North Durham since its inception.

Malcolm Wicks: Information on the number of pensioners in North Durham who have benefited from winter fuel payments in each year for which figures are available is in the Library.

Workstep Scheme

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many sheltered workshops approved under the Workstep programme are operating in each of the counties and metropolitan districts in the northern region.

Maria Eagle: Sheltered workshops are now referredto as supported factories/businesses. There are 11 Workstep supported factories/businesses operating in the Jobcentre Plus north east region. The north east region was formerly known as the as the Jobcentre Plus northern region and includes the Berwick-upon- Tweed constituency.
	Remploy has eight supported factory sites in the north east: Ashington (Northumberland); Gateshead (Tyne and Wear); Hartlepool (County Durham); Jarrow (Tyneand Wear); Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Newcastle); Spennymoor (County Durham); Stockton (Cleveland) and Sunderland (Sunderland).
	This is in addition to Palantine Beds in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (operated by Newcastle city council); Shaw Print in Northumberland (operated by Shaw Project) and Ayresome Industries in Middlesbrough (operated by Shaw Trust).
	Shaw Project also has a number of small businesses that operate as part of the factory element of Workstep, including a garden centre and landscape business. Shaw Project is a voluntary organisation covering the whole of the north east region and does not fall within any city/county council remit.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Arms Sales (Indonesia)

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date the Export Credits Guarantee Department was informed of the decision by Alvis to use (a) PT Truba, (b) PTSK and (c) Global Select as agents in connection with the sale of Scorpion and Stormer vehicles to Indonesia.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 4 February 2005
	Although ECGD was aware that Alvis had employed at least one agent in relation to the sale of Scorpion and Stormer vehicles to Indonesia, the exporter was not obliged under the application procedure to disclose anything in relation to any agency arrangement other than the value of the commissions payable.

Biomass Power Plants

Richard Page: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many working biomass power plants have been built since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: Working biomass power plants commissioned in the UK since 1997 are as follows.
	
		
			 Project KW installed capacity Developer Date of commissioning 
		
		
			 Elean Business Park* 36,850 EPR Ely Ltd. 2000 
			 Goosey Lodge Power Plant 5,000 Wykes Engineering Company (Rushden) Ltd. 2000 
			 Peabody Trust, BEDZED 239 Peabody Trust 2002 
			 PDM Group Widnes 2,100 PDM Group Ltd. 2000 
			 Thetford Power Station 41,500 Fibrothetford Ltd. C/o Thetford Power Station 1998 
			 Thornton Power Station 9,000 TPS (UK) Ltd. 2002 
			 The Westfield Biomass Plant 12,500 The Westfield Biomass Plant/EPR Scotland Ltd. 2000 
			 Balcas Sawmill, Laragh, Enniskillen, NI 2,700 Balcas Ltd. 2005 
			 SA Cumnock WWTW* 177 Scottish Water 1999 
			 Fawley Waste to Energy Plant* 8,600 Shanks Chemical Services Ltd. 2001 
			 Weston Industrial Estate* 500 Network Energy Ltd. 2002 
			 Total = 11 119,166   
		
	
	Note:
	This listing does not include co-firing installations, but those plants marked * have an element of co-firing.

Business Start-ups (Warrington)

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new business start-ups there have been in Warrington in each year since 1997.

Nigel Griffiths: Barclays data show that there were 1,700 business start-ups in Warrington Unitary Authority in 2003 and a further 1,500 in the first nine months of 2004. This represents a 15 per cent. increase on the first nine months of 2003. Business start-up data for unitary authorities are not available for before 2003.
	Barclays Bank's latest survey of business creation includes non-VAT registered firms and shows that there were business 445,000 (revised) start-ups in England and Wales in 2003, a 16 per cent. increase on the year before. A further 396,000 businesses started up in England and Wales in the first nine months of 2004. This represents an increase of 14 per cent. on the first nine months of 2003.
	DTI figures based solely on VAT registrations and de-registrations for Warrington unitary authority are shown as follows for 1997 and 2003. Data for 2004 will be available in autumn 2005.
	
		Warrington unitary authority
		
			  VAT registrations 
		
		
			 1997 565 
			 1998 590 
			 1999 480 
			 2000 515 
			 2001 585 
			 2002 575 
			 2003 600 
		
	
	Source:
	Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994–2003, Small Business Service, available from the Library of the House and also at: http://www.sbs.gov.uk/analytical/statistics/vatstats.php
	VAT registrations do not capture all start-up activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Only 1.8 million out of 4 million enterprises were registered for VAT at the start of 2003.

Charities (Employment Tribunals)

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many volunteers have claimed (a) unfair dismissal, (b) sex discrimination, (c) race discrimination and (d) disability discrimination against charities at employment tribunals in the last 12 months; and what the average cost awarded in each category was.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Employment Tribunals Service does not keep statistics on particular types of claimants and respondents. However, volunteers are not currently protected as employees and would be able to bring a claim before the Employment Tribunal only if they could show that they were in or applying for employment.

Debt Recovery

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will break down the Export Credits Guarantee Department unrecovered debt from each country on guarantees issued since May 1991 by project.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 17 January 2005
	Details of amounts owed to the Paris Club are not held at project level. Information on unrecovered claims, on a market basis, is included in the table:
	
		
			 Market Unrecovered claims (£) 
		
		
			 Algeria 29,061,027.93 
			 Australia 8,577,275.61 
			 Belgium 23,616,042.47 
			 Brazil 2,360,561.00 
			 Canada 20,109,035.48 
			 Colombia 1,519,289.47 
			 Cote D'Ivoire 13,775,958.77 
			 Dominica 1,809,022.43 
			 Egypt 198,773.94 
			 Ghana 58,726,117.49 
			 Indonesia 636,563,315.97 
			 Kuwait 48,257.35 
			 Mexico 1,272,839.45 
			 Pakistan 6,734,135.32 
			 Paraguay 17,430.03 
			 Seychelles 1,139,513.57 
			 Switzerland 29,112,667.75 
			 Turkey 1,583,098.57 
			 Zimbabwe 90,257,122.92 
		
	
	Note:
	As at 31 December 2004.

Departmental Policies (Clwyd, South)

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people in the Clwyd South constituency have benefited from the national minimum wage since its introduction.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Figures for the Clwyd South constituency are not available due to small sample size.
	The latest low pay data from the ONS show that 1.1 million people in the UK stood to benefit from the October 2004 uprating of the National Minimum Wage. Around 1 million people in the UK stood to benefit from the introduction of the National Minimum Wage in April 1999.
	The DTI will provide estimates of National Minimum Wage beneficiaries by region as soon as possible. These figures will be made available in the House of Commons Library.

Enterprise Capital Funds

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many applications have been received to date from potential operators of the pathfinder round of Enterprise Capital Funds; and when the deadline is for applications.

Nigel Griffiths: The Government intend to launch a bidding process for a pathfinder round of Enterprise Capital Funds within weeks of receiving state aid approval for the scheme from the European Commission. Until then no applications from potential operators can be made.

Enterprise Capital Funds

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the estimated (a) administration and (b) programme costs of the Enterprise Capital Funds are in each year between 2004 and 2008.

Nigel Griffiths: The estimated costs for running the Enterprise Capital Funds are:
	
		£ million
		
			  Aministration(41) Programme(42) 
		
		
			 2004–05 0.138 0.157 
			 2005–06 0.227 33.3 
			 2006–07 0.227 68.05 
			 2007–08 0.227 83 
		
	
	(41) Figures for 2004–05 are actual figures, those for 2005–06 onwards are based on estimates of staff deployment.
	(42) These are estimated figures and may vary depending on a number of factors, including the types of ECF selected during the bidding process.
	Note:
	The launch of the ECF programme remains dependent on EU state aid clearance.

Enterprise Capital Funds

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the fund limit of the Enterprise Capital Funds is; and what criteria were used in setting the limit at this level.

Nigel Griffiths: Subject to approval from the European Union State aid authorities the Government intends that Enterprise Capital Funds (ECFs) will be able to raise a maximum of £25 million of government leverage alongside private investor's funds. The ECFs will be set an initial investment limit of £2 million into any one SMB. These limits were set following a full open consultation with potential investors, fund managers and business. The Government response to the consultation is set out in Bridging the Finance Gap: next steps in improving access to growth capital for small business" (SBS and HM Treasury 2003). Key criteria were the availability of existing sources of finance and the needs of SMEs to obtain appropriate finance.

Enterprise Fund

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the (a) programme and (b) administrative costs of the Enterprise Fund were in each year between 2001to 2004.

Nigel Griffiths: The programme and administrative costs associated for the Enterprise Fund for the years 2001 to 2004 are as follows:
	
		£ million
		
			  Programme costs Administrative costs 
		
		
			 2001–02 39.2 n/a 
			 2002–03 74.7 1.5 
			 2003–04 83.759 l.6 
		
	
	The cost of administration in 2001–02 can only be identified at disproportionate cost.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch Presidency of the EU the Coordinating Committee on Fusion Energy EC-USA met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: No meetings of the EU Coordinating Committee on Fusion Energy EC-USA took place during the Italian and Irish Presidencies. A meeting took place during the Dutch Presidency on 2 November 2004, in Vilamoura, Portugal. The European Commission represents the EU in these meetings and no Member State Government experts were present including the UK.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch Presidency of the EU the Advisory Committee for the implementation of the general framework for Community activities in favour of consumers met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Details of the Advisory Committee for Community actions in support of consumer policy meetings held during the Italian, Irish and Dutch Presidency of the EU are given as follows. The DTIs Consumer and Competition Directorate represents the UK at these meetings.
	
		
			 Presidency Dates The Advisory Committee for community action in support of consumer policy meetings Location 
		
		
			 Italian July—December 2003 18 November, 2003 Brussels 
			 Irish January—June 2004 14 June, 2004 Brussels 
			 Dutch July—December 2004 13 October, 2004 Brussels

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch Presidency of the EU the Committee for implementation of multiannual framework programme for actions in the rational end efficient use of energy resources met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The work of the committee which the hon. Member refers to has, since 2003, been undertaken by the Intelligent Energy Europe programme committee.
	This committee met on the following dates in Brussels:
	24 July 2003 1
	8 October 2003
	5–6 February 2004
	15 September 2004
	8 December 2004
	1 Informal
	The meetings were attended by a DTI and a Defra official.

MG Rover

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the Government's role in partnership agreement negotiations between MG Rover and the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 3 February 2005
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has previously made it clear in the House that the Government fully support the joint venture between MG Rover and SAIC, and hope that the negotiations are successfully concluded as soon as possible.
	Ministers have recently met with senior executives from both MG Rover, SAIC and the Chinese Government, and stressed this support.

Gas

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much (a) associated gas and (b) non-associated gas has been (i) flared and (ii) vented (A) offshore and (B) onshore in each year for which figures are available; and what percentages of total (1) associated gas and (2) non-associated gas production this represented in each year.

Mike O'Brien: The following tables show annual UK offshore and onshore associated and dry (non-associated) gas production, and the percentages and amounts of gas vented and flared since 1979, the earliest date that combined records for seaward and landward flaring and venting have been kept.
	
		Table 1: Showing (by year since 1979)—Offshore gas production flaring and venting -- Thousand cubic metres (Ksm(45))
		
			  Associated gas production Ksm(45) Gas flared Ksm(45) Associated gas flare as percentage of associated gas production Gas vented Ksm(45) Associated gas vent as percentage of associated gas production 
		
		
			 1979 7,207,480 6,528,344 90.58 0 0.00 
			 1980 7,245,871 4,580,540 63.22 0 0.00 
			 1981 10,334,941 4,238,218 41.01 0 0.00 
			 1982 13,935,654 4,017,198 28.83 0 0.00 
			 1983 16,346,156 3,734,138 22.84 19,985 0.12 
			 1984 21,925,657 3,399,136 15.50 329,176 1.50 
			 1985 24,327,363 2,677,625 11.01 338,428 1.39 
			 1986 25,865,305 2,155,514 8.33 379,269 1.47 
			 1987 27,935,387 2,256,414 8.08 339,341 1.21 
			 1988 32,180,666 2,335,759 7.26 312,769 0.97 
			 1989 30,906,713 2,485,698 8.04 185,187 0.60 
			 1990 28,888,023 2,732,865 9.46 97,453 0.34 
			 1991 31,221,148 2,476,022 7.93 56,641 0.18 
			 1992 35,924277 2,438,222 6.79 69,807 0.19 
			 1993 40,863,083 2,479,598 6.07 65,274 0.16 
			 1994 51,049,012 3,156,534 6.18 56,383 0.11 
			 1995 55,508,296 5,805,151 10.46 33,257 0.06 
			 1996 59,718,242 2,513,065 4.21 24,434 0.04 
			 1997 60,580,328 2,205,676 3.64 35,554 0.06 
			 1998 68,388,042 2,137,428 3.13 40,792 0.06 
			 1999 77,044,484 2,189,774 2.84 270,815 0.35 
			 2000 76,489,996 1,858,075 2.43 123,475 0.16 
			 2001 77,820,312 1,737,953 2.23 76,332 0.10 
			 2002 81,664,017 1,609,620 1.97 78,612 0.10 
			 2003 77,188,639 1,488,068 1.93 133,335 0.17 
			 2004 70,004,711 1,503,565 2.15 30,504 0.04 
		
	
	
		Thousand cubic metres (Ksm(45))
		
			  Dry gas production Ksm(45) Gas flared Ksm(45) Dry gas flare as percentage of dry gas production Gas vented Ksm(45) Dry gas vent as percentage of dry gas production 
		
		
			 1979 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1980 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1981 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1982 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1983 13,272,437 409 0.00 0 0.00 
			 1984 31,590,534 1,154 0.00 0 0.00 
			 1985 27,113,729 2,645 0.01 0 0.00 
			 1986 35,731,870 3,904 0.01 316 0.00 
			 1987 45,190,900 5,348 0.01 699 0.00 
			 1988 24,606,205 13,749 0.06 3,508 0.01 
			 1989 22,635,957 10,563 0.05 1,042 0.00 
			 1990 36,061,609 6,971 0.02 5,025 0.01 
			 1991 41,193,035 6,527 0.02 13,151 0.03 
			 1992 39,582,866 1,318 0.00 17,171 0.04 
			 1993 41,357,994 950 0.00 8,491 0.02 
			 1994 36,421,239 3,501 0.01 12,615 0.03 
			 1995 43,432,286 23,571 0.05 15,058 0.03 
			 1996 54,752,478 40,564 0.07 12,190 0.02 
			 1997 57,264,114 34,720 0.06 10,989 0.02 
			 1998 54,538,890 31,095 0.06 12,616 0.02 
			 1999 53,863,045 54,099 0.10 118,020 0.22 
			 2000 63,276,387 5,562 0.01 5,428 0.01 
			 2001 60,223,440 7,962 0.01 5,208 0.01 
			 2002 50,508,230 10,520 0.02 4,568 0.01 
			 2003 52,104,164 7,582 0.01 3,472 0.01 
			 2004 47,058,723 72,491 0.15 3,022 0.01 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Showing (by year since 1979)—Onshore gas production flaring and venting  -- Thousand cubic metres (Ksm(45))
		
			  Associated gas production Ksm(45) Gas flared Ksm(45) Associated gas flare as percentage of associated gas production Gas vented Ksm(45) Associated gas vent as percentage of associated gas production 
		
		
			 1979 1,595 1,595 100.00 0 0.00 
			 1980 7,848 7,570 96.46 0 0.00 
			 1981 5,888 1,933 32.83 0 0.00 
			 1982 7,257 1,432 19.73 0 0.00 
			 1983 10,197 3,634 35.64 0 0.00 
			 1984 11,053 5,363 48.52 0 0.00 
			 1985 15,817 9,134 57.75 0 0.00 
			 1986 37,165 18,418 49.56 0 0.00 
			 1987 59,709 19,230 32.21 65 0.11 
			 1988 75,047 21,636 28.83 301 0.40 
			 1989 87,203 18,141 20.80 1,313 1.51 
			 1990 158,580 80,943 51.04 2,140 1.35 
			 1991 311,038 41,749 13.42 16,696 5.37 
			 1992 347,107 29,049 8.37 12,513 3.60 
			 1993 343,413 39,957 11.64 13,174 3.84 
			 1994 409,066 38,210 9.34 11,421 2.79 
			 1995 452,801 36,896 8.15 16,842 3.72 
			 1996 408,847 48,477 11.86 14,526 3.55 
			 1997 398,918 30,613 7.67 14,808 3.71 
			 1998 410,141 27,199 6.63 23,423 5.71 
			 1999 357,094 24,525 6.87 26,470 7.41 
			 2000 264,071 20,912 7.92. 10,078 3.82 
			 2001 239,680 15,944 6.65 545 0.23 
			 2002 243,339 19,625 8.06 526 0.22 
			 2003 202,182 25,024 12.38 845 0.42 
			 2004 158,245 21,770 13.76 467 0.30 
		
	
	
		Thousand cubic metres (Ksm(45))
		
			  Dry gas production Ksm(45) Gas flared Ksm(45) Dry gas flare as percentage of dry gas production Gas vented Ksm(45) Dry gas vent as percentage of dry gas production 
		
		
			 1979 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1980 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1981 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1982 A 0 — 0 — 
			 1983 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1984 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1985 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1986 0 0 — 0 — 
			 1987 420 0 0.00 0 0.00 
			 1988 3,948 0 0.00 0 0.00 
			 1989 3,923 0 0.00 200 5.10 
			 1990 3,265 0 0.00 126 3.86 
			 1991 2,964 0 0.00 0 0.00 
			 1992 10,826 524 4.84 0 0.00 
			 1993 63,547 49 0.08 0 0.00 
			 1994 41,761 37 0.09 0 0.00 
			 1995 39,506 41 0.10 0 0.00 
			 1996 60,579 61 0.10 0 0.00 
			 1997 97,425 0 0.00 28 0.03 
			 1998 123,098 6 0.00 369 0.30 
			 1999 132,706 0 0.00 376 0.28 
			 2000 526,409 101 0.02 377 0.07 
			 2001 475,963 227 0.05 80 0.02 
			 2002 355,701 1,382 0.39 0 0.00 
			 2003 417,530 310 0.07 0 0.00 
			 2004 292,285 384 0.13 0 0.00

Miners' Compensation

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress is being made with including coal preparation plant-workers in the health claims compensation scheme.

Nigel Griffiths: The Department's medical advice is that the levels of respirable dust (not visible dust) in surface jobs, such as coal preparation plant-workers, were not sufficient to cause lung disease. The miners' solicitors had been intending to contest this in new litigation but advised the court in December 2004 that they were not now going ahead with this.
	Any surface-only worker who feels they have a claim can pursue this in the normal way as a common law case and should consult their solicitor.

Miners' Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many miner compensation claims have been submitted so far in 2005 by (a) AJ Revill Associates, (b) Thorn Legal Services Ltd., (c) Union and General Services Ltd., (d) Daton Holdings Ltd. and (e) Thorn Compensation Services Ltd.

Nigel Griffiths: holding answer 31 January 2005
	The companies have not registered any miner's compensation claims. The Department's claim handlers have no knowledge of these companies.
	It should also be noted that the cut-off date for registering claims under the respiratory disease scheme was 31 March 2004.

Miners' Compensation

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average level of compensation paid to opencast miners at Longannet was; and what the average level of compensation paid to opencast miners in England following closures was.

Nigel Griffiths: The Department's claim handlers do not keep statistics based on the type of mining technique at collieries.

Miners' Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which 20 solicitors have received most in fees paid by the Department under the Coalminers' Compensation Scheme; and how much each has been paid to date.

Nigel Griffiths: holding answer 26 January 2005
	As of 24 January 2005 the figures are:
	
		
			 Solicitor(43) Total solicitors costs(44)(£ million) 
		
		
			 Thompsons 61.6 
			 Hugh James Ford Simey 52.3 
			 Raleys Solicitors 42.2 
			 Browell Smith & Co. 29.7 
			 Mark Gilbert Morse 25.0 
			 Beresfords Solicitors 23.0 
			 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 18.0 
			 Graysons 17.1 
			 Watson Burton 15.3 
			 Towells Solicitors 11.9 
			 Moss Solicitors 9.9 
			 Irwin Mitchell 9.6 
			 Randell Lloyd Jenkins & Martin 7.9 
			 Corries 6.4 
			 Kidd & Spoor Harper Solicitors 6.3 
			 The Legal Warehouse 6.2 
			 O H Parsons 6.2 
			 AMS Law 6.2 
			 Wake Smith 4.9 
			 Atteys 4.9 
		
	
	(43) Top 20" solicitors are in descending order based on total solicitors costs paid on both COPD and VWF.
	(44) Solicitor's costs include VAT on solicitor's profit costs and disbursements, but exclude generic costs paid to solicitors involved in the setting up of the scheme and overview of its operation.

Miners' Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average settlement is for (a) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and (b) vibration white finger claims for the 20 solicitors who have submitted the greatest number of claims under the Coalminers' Compensation Scheme.

Nigel Griffiths: holding answer 26 January 2005
	The information is as follows:
	
		£
		
			 Solicitor(45) COPD average settlement(46) VWF average settlement(46) 
		
		
			 Beresfords Solicitors 2,366 7,549 
			 Thompsons 10,145 10,052 
			 Hugh James Ford Simey 10,241 8,294 
			 Raleys Solicitors 8,864 8,126 
			 Browell Smith & Co. 9,985 8,907 
			 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 4,213 8,490 
			 Avalon 3,071 6,291 
			 Mark Gilbert Morse 6,268 6,530 
			 Graysons 4,877 7,408 
			 Watson Burton 5,291 9,443 
			 Corries 3,068 7,910 
			 Moss Solicitors 4,953 7,867 
			 AMS Law 3,846 8,371 
			 Barber & Co. 2,839 — 
			 Randell Lloyd Jenkins & Martin 8,000 8,699 
			 Towells Solicitors 8,638 8,738 
			 Irwin Mitchell 10,443 9,261 
			 Kidd & Spoor Harper Solicitors 3,904 10,103 
			 Delta Legal 3,646 5,551 
			 The Legal Warehouse 3,306 6,286 
		
	
	(45) Top 20" solicitors are in descending order and based on the number of claims received for both COPD and VWF combined. Claim receipts are those claims that are fully registered, i.e. exclude pool of claims accepted with minimum data, awaiting further information.
	(46) Average settlement value is derived from total damages paid on claims settled by payment.

Miners' Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which 20 solicitors have the largest number of unsettled (a) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and (b) vibration white finger claims under the Coalminers' Compensation Scheme.

Nigel Griffiths: holding answer 26 January 2005
	As of 24 January 2005 the figures are:
	
		
			 Solicitors Total claims unsettled 
		
		
			 COPD  
			 Beresfords 67,585 
			 Thompsons 35,118 
			 Hugh James 34,769 
			 Raleys 29,619 
			 Avalon 24,915 
			 Browell Smith & Co. 21,965 
			 Mark Gilbert Morse 14,086 
			 Barber & Co. 11,874 
			 Corries 10,269 
			 UDM 9,511 
			 Delta Legal 8,718 
			 Watson Burton 8,353 
			 Randell Lloyd Jenkins & Martin 6,714 
			 AMS Law 6,697 
			 Graysons 6,658 
			 Birchall Blackburn 6,621 
			 Ingrams 5,758 
			 The Legal Warehouse 5,371 
			 BRM 5,214 
			 German Hamilton 4,973 
			   
			 VWF  
			 Thompsons 12,488 
			 Graysons 6,502 
			 Beresfords 5,554 
			 Browell Smith & Co. 4,571 
			 Raleys 4,196 
			 Hugh James 3,691 
			 UDM 3,311 
			 Watson Burton 3,145 
			 Moss 2,416 
			 Towells 2,357 
			 AMS Law 2,053 
			 Corries 1,615 
			 Shaw & Co. 1,417 
			 Kidd & Spoor Harper 1,315 
			 Atteys 1,265 
			 Irwin Mitchell 1,080 
			 Latham & Co. 1,032 
			 Randell Lloyd Jenkins & Martin 859 
			 O H Parsons 824 
			 Morisons 629 
		
	
	Note:
	Unsettled claims include chronic bronchitis only claims where an interim payment has been made but has not (as yet) been accepted/paid as final settlement.

National Minimum Wage

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to reduce the qualifying age for the higher rate of the national minimum wage from 22 years to 21 years; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We expect to receive the next report from the Low Pay Commission by the end of this month, and will consider any recommendations on this point very carefully.

Natural Gas Imports

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the volume and value of liquefied natural gas imported to the UK was in 2004.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 7 February 2005
	There were no significant imports of liquefied natural gas into the UK in 2004.

Natural Gas Imports

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to review the gas storage capabilities of the UK at the point when the UK becomes a net importer of gas.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 7 February 2005
	According to the latest available data, the UK made the transition to being a net importer of gas in 2004.
	Information on recent market movements suggests that the currently available storage has been sufficient to date over the course of the current winter and that stocks remain relatively high.
	As outlined in the regular report published by the Joint Energy Security of Supply Working Group (JESS), there are a number of new gas storage projects due to come on stream over the next few years.
	The latest update of the JESS report is available on the following weblink: http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/jess/reports.shtml

Natural Gas Imports

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the monthly (a) volume and (b) value of gas (i) exported from and (ii) imported to the UK was in 2004.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 7 February 2005
	The DTI publish monthly data on volumes of natural gas imports and exports. These are given as follows in terawatt hours.
	
		Terawatt hours
		
			 2004 Imports TWh Exports TWh 
		
		
			 January 17.7 4.4 
			 February 16.3 4.4 
			 March 13.8 6.1 
			 April 6.7 11.7 
			 May 7.1 16.7 
			 June 3.7 18.2 
			 July 6.6 20.0 
			 August 6.2 12.7 
			 September 6.0 5.0 
			 October 12.3 5.3 
			 November 17.2 5.0 
			 December 19.5 4.7 
		
	
	Statistics on the value of trade are collected by HM Customs and Excise and published in the Overseas Trade Statistics which is available in the House of Commons Library.

Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the activity of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market in the UK in the past 12 months; and if she will list their publications and newsletters published over that period.

Douglas Alexander: The Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market have undertaken activities in the UK such as: speaking at conferences, seminars and courses; participating in Designs Fairs; collaborating with Intellectual Property Enforcement Agencies; and working with the UK Patent Office and other national offices to promote best practice.
	In the same period the Office has published a large number of documents which include: its Annual Report; The Community Trade Marks Bulletin; The Community Designs Bulletin; and The Official Journal of the Office. A complete list of its publications has been placed in the Library of the House.

Post Offices

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2005, Official Report, column 800W, on rural post offices, how many of the 1,500 additional post offices brought under the protected rural category as a result of the adoption and implementation of the under-definition are located in Scotland.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Post Office Ltd. (POL) did not differentiate between urban and rural branches before adopting the Countryside Agency definition of settlements with less than 10,000 inhabitants. POL cannot, therefore, provide a figure for the number of post offices in Scotland captured as a result of the adoption of that definition.
	The number of rural post offices in Scotland is currently 1,157.

Post Offices

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices have closed in the Greater London area in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Data for Greater London are available from March 2000. The net closure figures for the London region are:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2001(47) 10 
			 2002(47) 16 
			 2003(47) (48)44 
			 2004(47) (49)155 
			 2004–05(51) (50)87 
		
	
	(47) Year to end March.
	(48) Including 11 under the urban reinvention programme.
	(49) Including 142 under the urban reinvention programme.
	(50) Including 75 under the urban reinvention programme.
	(51) First half.

Pregnant Women (Discrimination)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government are taking to prevent discrimination against (a) pregnant women and (b) new mothers.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Pregnant women and new mothers are protected from discrimination and other unfair treatment at work under the Sex Discrimination Act and the Employment Rights Act. Employers who discriminate against pregnant women are breaking the law and could be liable to pay compensation.
	The Government are concerned, however, that the Equal Opportunities Commission's (EOC) current investigation into pregnancy discrimination in the workplace has found that some women still experience problems. The Government look forward to receiving the EOC's final report and recommendations later this year and will consider them carefully.

Pregnant Women (Discrimination)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government are taking to give pregnant working women greater knowledge of their (a) maternity rights and (b) employer's responsibilities.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government look forward to the final report of the Equal Opportunities Commission's (EOC) investigation into pregnancy discrimination in the workplace. We have noted their interim recommendations which focus on improving awareness of the law and promoting increased dialogue between employers and employees before, during and after maternity leave.
	The Government provide a range of guidance for employers and employees. Additionally, free confidential advice is available from ACAS and the EOC.

Trade Associations

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether it is her policy to invite trade associations to play a greater role in training and the provision of apprenticeships.

Jacqui Smith: The network of employer-led Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) already include representatives of trade associations which contribute to the identification and implementation of skills needs and priorities. One of the roles of the SSCs is to develop apprenticeship frameworks and many trade associations already play a very active role in this regard.

UK Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the UK Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary IT programme.

Mike O'Brien: The UK Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary IT programme has recently been focussing its efforts on the preparation for stand alone status as the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, and the implementation of the Airwave communication system.

Vehicle Pricing

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the difference in the purchase costs of new vehicles between the UK and (a) other European countries and (b) the USA.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In July 2004 my Department published DTI Economic Paper No.9: The Benefits from Competition: Some illustrative examples", available at:
	www.dti.gov.uk/economics/economics_paper9.pdf.
	The paper included an assessment of the effects of action by the competition authorities and changes in the competition regime on new car prices in the UK. In so doing the Report made reference to the reports of the European Commission on price differentials within the European Union, the latest of which was published on 29 July 2004 (www.europa.eu.int/comm/competition/car_sector/price_diffs/).
	The DTI paper reported that new car prices in the UK had reduced, on average, by about 10 per cent. between April 2000 and October 2003 and that the European Commission research shows evidence that the disparity between new car prices in the UK and the rest of the Union had decreased.
	My Department has made no assessment of the difference in the purchase costs of new vehicles between the UK and the USA.

Wind Power

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research projects she is supporting in wind power generation.

Mike O'Brien: DTI grants have been paid to a number of projects at present supporting wind power with its contribution totalling some £3,472, 210.
	
		Wind Power Generation
		
			   £ 
		
		
			 AMEC Services Ltd. Offshore wind turbine and bird activity at Blyth 136,240 
			 Garrad Hassan and Partners Ltd. UK contribution to concerted action on Offshore Wind Partners Ltd. Energy Deployment—phase 2 74,030 
			 NEG Micon Rotors Ltd. Large multi-part offshore blade development 495,000 
			 NEG Micon Rotors Ltd. Review of control algorithms for offshore wind turbines 47,955 
			 Garrad Hassan and Partners Ltd. Finite element modelling of offshore wind turbine support structures 22,180 
			 Insensys Ltd. Improved performance of wind turbines using fibre optic structural monitoring 139,970 
			 QinetiQ Design and manufacture of radar absorbent wind turbine blades 112,600 
			 Euro-Projects (LTTC) Ltd. Opportunities for reinforced thermoplastic composites in offshore wind structures 48,500 
			 NEG Micon Rotors Ltd. Fully integrated resin distribution system 225,000 
			 Hayes McKenzie Partnership Microseismic and infrasound monitoring of low frequency. noise and vibration from wind farms 25,045 
			 Seacore Ltd. Offshore wind farms proposal to reduce costs of foundations and installation 999,912 
			 SEtech(Geotechnical Foundations Engineers) Ltd. FINPILE—improving the lateral stability of monopile foundations 49,178 
			 Scott Wilson Oceans Innovative foundation designs for offshore wind turbines 39,800 
			 SLP Engineering Ltd. The application of suction caisson foundations to offshore wind turbine 917,000 
			 Caley Ocean Systems Ltd. Boat access system prototype—offshore wind turbines 68,300 
			 Hovemere Ltd. Mobile wind lidar for offshore wind farms 71,500

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Brixton Prison

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations she has received on employer's liability insurance cover for prison education staff at HMP Brixton; and what measures are taken to ensure that Reed Education adheres to employment law.

Ivan Lewis: The Secretary of State for Education and Skills has not received any representations concerning this matter. Officials at the Department for Education and Skills investigated an allegation that employer's liability insurance for prison education staff at HMP Brixton had expired on 1 December 2004. It transpired that this was not the case and that during the period of 1 December 2004 to 30 November 2005, the education staff at HMP Brixton were covered by employer's liability insurance.
	HMPS ensure that contractors take out liability insurance of £5 million. HMP Brixton's contract with Reed Learning states that,
	The contractor shall hold employer's liability insurance in respect of relevant staff in accordance with a legal requirement for the time being in force."

Consultants

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total expenditure by her Department on external consultants was in (a) 1996–97 and (b) 2003–04; and what the estimated cost of employing external consultants will be in (i) 2004–05, (ii) 2005–06, (iii) 2006–07 and (iv) 2007–08.

Derek Twigg: Within the Department for Education and Skills the total cost of consultants charged to administration budgets was £8.216 million in 1996–97 and £4.7 million in 2003–04. The cost charged to programmes is not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	To provide estimated costs for consultants for 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07 and 2007–08 would require a departmental trawl at disproportionate cost.

Contract Awards

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many contracts in her Department have been granted to (a) EDS, (b) Fujitsu and (c) EDS and Fujitsu jointly in each of the last two years; whether they were open to competition; for what they were granted; for how much, and over what period of time; and if she will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: During the last two years (2003, 2004) the Department for Education and Skills has not awarded any contracts to (a) EDS or (c) EDS and Fujitsu jointly.
	One contract was awarded to (b) Fujitsu to undertake the proof of concept of the Cybrarian Project. The objective of this project was to assist in decreasing the digital divide by facilitating access to the internet and to learning opportunities for those who currently do not, or cannot, use the internet because of lack of skills or confidence or because of physical or cognitive disabilities. Fujitsu was awarded a £465,000 contract, following an Office of Government Commerce S-Cat exercise, to develop and produce demonstrator systems and tests. The exercise was completed by Fujitsu in autumn 2003.

School Leavers (Easington)

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school-leavers in the Easington constituency went on to (a) higher education, (b) further education and (c) full-time employment in each year since 2001.

Kim Howells: Information on 18-year-olds entering HE is collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and is available at constituency level. The number of 18-year-olds entering HE from Easington constituency for each year since 2001 is given in Table 1. The numbers have been rounded to the nearest five.
	
		Table 1: The number of 18-year-olds entering HE from Easington constituency since 2001
		
			 End of calendar year Number of people 
		
		
			 2001 125 
			 2002 155 
			 2003 120 
		
	
	Estimates of the percentage of 16-year-olds participating in education and LSC funded work based learning (WBL) are not available below local education authority (LEAs) level. The number of 16-year-olds participating in full-time education for end 2001 (2001/02 academic year) in Durham LEA was 4,200 (rounded to the nearest hundred) or 66 per cent. of the age group. The number of these young people participating in education and WBL was 5,500 or 87 per cent. Estimates for end 2002 and end 2003 (provisional) are due to be published in March 2005.
	Information on 16 to 19-year-olds in employment (both full- and part-time) is available at parliamentary constituency level from the Office for National Statistics. Table 2 shows the numbers and percentages in Easington constituency since 2001. However, sample sizes are very small due to the narrow age band and small geographic area. Therefore, the employment rate is volatile and care should be taken when interpreting the figures. The numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand, with the rates calculated from unrounded numbers.
	
		Table 2: Percentage of 16 to 19-year-olds in employment in Easington constituency
		
			  Number Percentage 
		
		
			 2001–02 4,000 73.1 
			 2002–03 3,000 49.0 
			 2003–04 (52)n/a (52)n/a 
		
	
	(52)The employment rate for 2003–04 is not available as it would be disclosive", as it is based on a sample of less than 3.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the Co-ordination Group to promote uniformity of application of the general system for the recognition of higher education diplomas (first general system) met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: No meetings of the Co-ordination Group were held during the Italian and Dutch presidencies. A meeting was held during the Irish presidency on 24 April 2004, in Brussels, and the UK National Coordinator responsible for the general system was present.

Further Education Funding

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money has been spent (a) per school sixth former and (b) per student in a collegeof further education in (i) England and (ii)Buckinghamshire in each year since the establishment of the Learning and Skills Council.

Kim Howells: The Department allocates funds for education and training in the post -16 learning and skills sector to the Learning and Skills Council. The Department does not collect information on the level of per capita funding for students in school sixth-forms and further education colleges at either the local or national level. Mark Haysom, the Learning and Skills Council's chief executive will write to the hon. Member with details of the level of per capita funding for students in (a) school sixth- forms and (b) further education colleges in England and Buckinghamshire for each year since the establishment of the Learning and Skills Council.

Higher Education

Alan Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils entered higher education from schools and colleges in (a) the County of Essex in each year from 1991 to 1997 and (b) the County of Essex and the boroughs of Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea in each year from 1998 to 2004.

Kim Howells: The available information is taken from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and covers 18-year-old applicants accepted through UCAS to full-time first degree and HMD courses. Figures for Essex, Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea LEAs are given in the table. Figures for years prior to 1994 are not held centrally and data for 2004 will not be available until late February 2005.
	
		18-year-olds, domiciled in Essex LEA, accepted through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service to full-time first degree and HND courses in the UK, 1994 to 1997
		
			 Year of entry Essex 
		
		
			 1994 3,137 
			 1995 3,337 
			 1996 3,445 
			 1997 3,805 
		
	
	Source:
	Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
	
		18-year-olds, domiciled in Essex, Thurrock or Southend-on-Sea LEAs, accepted through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service to full-time first degree and HND courses in the UK,1998 to 2003
		
			 Year of entry Essex Thurrock Southend-on-Sea 
		
		
			 1998 3,285 320 171 
			 1999 3,354 318 163 
			 2000 3,241 346 168 
			 2001 3,483 350 168 
			 2002 3,584 355 184 
			 2003 3,672 395 188 
		
	
	Source:
	Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)

Higher Education

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of school leavers in (a) Greater London and (b) each London borough have gone on to higher education in each year since 1997.

Kim Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Southwark, North and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes) on 4 October 2004, Official Report, column 1806W, which gave the latest available figures up to 2003. Data for 2004 will not be available until February 2005.

Higher Education

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many undergraduate students were pursuing courses in higher education institutions on the last date for which information is available; and of those how many qualified (a) as home students by virtue of being settled in the UK for reasons other than education, (b) as nationals or children of nationals of member states of the EU, ordinarily resident in that country, (c) as EU originating migrant workers or family members thereof, (d) as an exchange student, (e) as a refugee or the spouse or child thereof, (f) as a person with exceptional leave to remain in the UK or the spouse or child thereof and (g) as a citizen of Hong Kong; how many were overseas students; and what proportion each represented of total undergraduates.

Kim Howells: The latest available information is shown in the table. Migrant workers, refugees and those with exceptional leave to remain cannot be identified from the existing data.
	
		Undergraduates in UK HE institutions 2003–04
		
			  Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Total undergraduates 1,674,905 100.0 
			 Of which:   
			 UK domicile 1,523,740 91.0 
			 EU 56,715 3.4 
			 Hong Kong 7,435 0.4 
			 Other overseas 87,015 5.2 
			 Exchange students 17,945 1.1 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures based on census count of students as at 31 December .2004
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Higher Education

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many entrants to higher education were from educational establishments in the Stockton, South constituency in each of the last seven years.

Kim Howells: The available information is taken from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record. Information on the parliamentary constituency domicile of a student is derived from the students' postcode.
	
		18-year-old undergraduate entrants to UK HE institutions from Stockton, South constituency, 1997/98 to 2003/04
		
			 Academic year Entrants 
		
		
			 1997/98(53) 305 
			 1998/99 345 
			 1999/2000 330 
			 2000/01 345 
			 2001/02 335 
			 2002/03 375 
			 2003/04 365 
		
	
	(53)Figures for 1997/98 do not include entrants at the Open University as these can not be identified on the dataset.
	Figures are based upon a snapshot as at 1 December for 18-year-olds who have a known postcode. In each year, around 2–3 per cent. of UK domiciled students did not have sufficient postcode information to allow them to be allocated to a constituency. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record

In-house Magazines

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much has been spent on the production of in-house magazines in the Department and its predecessors in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: Expenditure on the production of in-house publications within my Department is set out as follows.
	It is not possible, except at disproportionate cost, to separately identify spend on internal publications prior to April 1999.
	
		£000
		
			  Spend on internal publications 
		
		
			 1999–2000 67.9 
			 2000–01 89.8 
			 2001–02 83.7 
			 2002–03 95.1 
			 2003–04 95.0 
			 2004–05 80.7 
		
	
	Financial information for financial year 2004–05, reflects current expenditure (at 1 February 2005).

Prisoners (Internet Access)

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  which European countries her Department consulted on how they provided internet access to prisoners during the planning of the strategy produced by Graham Connellan;
	(2)  what the outcome was of the work conducted by Graham Connellan on providing internet access to prisoners; and if she will place a copy of the strategy in the Library.

Ivan Lewis: Website research was undertaken into the French, German and Swedish Prison Services in preparation for working up the draft strategy.
	Currently a pilot to validate the technical solution has been defined and agreed. It is planned to commence at HMP Leyhill in the near future. The eight week pilot is being managed by HM prisons headquarters. The pilot will consist of a suite of terminals with access to approximately 10 web sites. If the pilot is successful, it is anticipated that a full implementation project will be defined and delivered and the strategy for this will be made available in the public domain.

Queen's Flight

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  on how many occasions her Department's Ministers used the Queen's flight in each of the past five years;
	(2)  how much money her Department has spent on chartering aircraft in each of the past five years.

Derek Twigg: The publicly available Cabinet Office guidance, Travel by Ministers", makes clear that special flights may be authorised when a scheduled service is not available, or when it is essential to travel by air, but the requirements of official or Parliamentary business or security considerations or urgency preclude the journey being made by a scheduled service.
	Neither the Queen's flight service nor private charter flights have been used by any Ministers in the Department for Education and Skills, and its predecessor, for domestic travel in the past five years.
	In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The list published in 1999 covers the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1999. Where RAF/Private Charter aircraft are used this is shown in the list. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2004–05 will be published in due course.
	All Ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

School Fires

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many fires there were in schools in England in each of the last three years; and how many she estimates were caused by arson.

Derek Twigg: Because the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) has overall policy lead for fire safety and arson reduction across Government Departments, it is ODPM rather than this Department that compiles statistics on fires in schools.
	The latest set of figures we have on school fires from ODPM cover the three years 2001–02 to 2003–04. The data for 2002–03 do not include estimates for the short periods of industrial action and the figures for 2003–04 are provisional. For England the details are:
	
		
			   Most likely cause 
			  Total Accidental Deliberate 
		
		
			 2001–02 1,418 602 816 
			 2002–03 1.294 562 733 
			 2003–04 1,288 535 753

Student Finance

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much Student Loan Company expenditure there has been on (a) grants, (b) income contingent loans, (c) tuition fees, (d) hardship and access to learning, (e) fee waiver and (f) opportunity bursaries in each year since 1999–2000 at (i) Northumbria and (ii) Newcastle universities.

Kim Howells: Data on Student Loan Company (SLC) expenditure paid to students at Northumbria university and the university of Newcastle upon Tyne in respect of grants, income-contingent loan cash outlay, tuition fees and hardship loans for academic years1999/00 to 2004/05 (provisional) are shown in the following table.
	
		SLC expenditure on grants1, 2, income-contingent loan cash outlay(55), tuition fees(56), and hardship loans(56)paid to students studying at Northumbria university and the university of Newcastle upon Tyne(57)—;Academic years 1999/00 to 2004/05(provisional) -- £000
		
			  1999/00 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05(58) 
		
		
			 Northumbria:   
			 Grants 456 728 955 1,049 671 2,922 
			 Loans 17,558 24,169 25,360 27,255 31,812 33,225 
			 Fees 3,087 3,995 4,661 4,939 4,986 5,058 
			 Hardship loans(59) 120 120 122 124 106 n/a 
			 Total(60) 21,220 29,011 31,097 33,368 37,575 41,205 
			
			 Newcastle:   
			 Grants 62 102 206 243 196 1,891 
			 Loans 13,322 20,392 24,083 26,492 31,842 33,364 
			 Fees 1,727 2,471 3,236 3,431 3,612 3,494 
			 Hardship loans(59) 46 71 101 68 54 n/a 
			 Total(60) 15,156 23,037 27,627 30,233 35,704 38,749 
		
	
	n/a = Not applicable
	(54)Up to and including academic year 2003/04, data on grant expenditure for student support scheme students relates to additional allowances/grants available to eligible students for extra help depending on their circumstances, e.g. students with disabilities, students with dependents, single parent students, those incurring certain travel costs, and those who have recently left care. In addition, data for 2004/05 include expenditure on the Higher Education grant which was introduced for new students in 2004/05 to help cover the cost of participating in Higher Education.
	(55)Students domiciled in England and Wales.
	(56)Students domiciled in England, Wales and the EU.
	(57)Data also includes planned expenditure.
	(58)Provisional (as at 4 February 2005).
	(59)Hardship loans have been discontinued in 2004/05 following the introduction of the Higher Education Grant.
	(60)Totals may not add due to rounding.
	The rise in SLC Grant expenditure in 2004/05 is due partly to the introduction of the Higher Education Grant which was introduced for new students in 2004/05 to help cover the cost of participating in Higher Education. It is also due to a change in accounting arrangements whereby prior to 2004/05, local education authorities were responsible for paying certain grants and allowances. In 2004/05, the SLC are responsible for paying all grants and allowances hence the increase in the SLC expenditure.
	Hardship/Access to learning fund expenditure, fee waivers and opportunity bursaries are paid by HEFCE. Data on these expenditures are shown in the following table.
	
		Hardship/Access to learning fund allocations, fee waivers and opportunity bursaries allocations: Northumbria university and the university of Newcastle upon Tyne—Academic years 1999/00 to 2004/05 -- £000
		
			  1999/00 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 
		
		
			 Northumbria:   
			 Hardship/access to learning fund 1,010 746 799 943 1,004 659 
			 Fee waivers n/a 52 47 48 58 12 
			 Opportunity bursaries(61) n/a n/a 111 200 294 154 
			 Total(62) 1,010 797 957 1,191 1,357 824 
			
			 Newcastle:   
			 Hardship/access to learning fund 492 616 597 545 484 407 
			 Fee waivers n/a 2 7 12 14 5 
			 Opportunity bursaries(61) n/a n/a 66 82 163 80 
			 Total(62) 492 617 670 639 661 491 
		
	
	n/a = Not applicable
	(61)There were no opportunity bursaries for new students in 2004/05 as the bursaries were replaced by the Higher Education Grants introduced for new students in 2004/05. Figures for 2004/05 relate to continuing bursary instalments only.
	(62)Totals may not add due to rounding.

Schools' Income

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information she collects on the income of individual schools.

Stephen Twigg: Ministers decided in 2002 that the Department should collect detailed information on income and expenditure in individual schools so that schools can compare themselves against other similar schools. The Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR) framework regulations came into force on 1 April 2003. The approved headings for the income fields are set out as follows. The Department has just finished collecting the second year's income data and loaded it onto the new benchmarking website www.teachernet.gov.uk/schoolfinance along with some contextual information about the schools. The website allows schools to identify similar schools, based on the contextual information, in order to compare income and expenditure.
	Income Data
	101 (Funds delegated by the local education authority)
	102 (Funding for sixth form students)
	103 (Special educational needs funding)
	104 (Funding for minority ethnic pupils)
	105 (Standards Fund)
	106 (Other Government grants)
	107 (Other grants)
	108 (Income from facilities and services)
	109 (Income from catering)
	110 (Receipts from supply teacher insurance claims)
	111 (Receipts from other insurance claims)
	112 (Income from contributions to visits etc)
	113 (Donations and/or private funds)